Dawn after the Darkness
by annielovesauggie
Summary: Slightly AU. Annie and Auggie meet for the first time at special CIA facility. Annie is undergoing psychological testing to determine if she's fit to serve as an operative. While there, she meets a kind, handsome stranger dealing with a devastating diagnosis. Together, they may be able to lift each other up and help heal themselves.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm trying something a little different…just playing around with my favorite dynamic duo. This is a little AU. This is a story I wrote a long time ago, but Annie and Auggie just wormed their way into it, and now it belongs to them…. Please review and let me know what you think. As always, I apologize for errors. **

Auggie couldn't help it; he was drawn to her from the minute he laid eyes on her. She sat at the counter in the cafeteria. Not at a table like most of the wayward agents in this place. He caught sight of her deep brown eyes as she cased the room. He walked in her direction and sat down next to her, leaving one seat vacant between them. He thought of a million different opening lines as he sat, but then decided to try the direct approach.

"So, what sob story brings you here?"

"I'm sorry?" The beautiful young agent asked.

"Well, you're here at the CIA's most secretive recovery and rehabilitation center. What's your story?"

"You really like to jump right in, huh?" She chuckled softly.

"Auggie Anderson." He extended his hand. She watched his warm brown eyes take her in. She knew an operative when she saw one. He was cataloging the details.

"Annie Walker."

"So, Annie Walker…you wanna talk about it?" He asked as he picked up his coffee cup and drank.

"No." She turned slightly away from him and watched the action behind the counter at the commissary.

"Maybe I came on too strong. I didn't mean to pry."

She looked back at him. His face was honest and open, but obviously he was in the CIA, as was everyone here, so she kept her guard up.

"That's okay. I'm not a big talker."

"Huh. You might need to work on that for 'group.'

"Group?"

"Yeah, group therapy."

"I don't do that."

"Ohhhh, you're one of those. I get it."

"What are you here for?"

"Oh, now who's getting personal?"

She laughed. Despite her initial weariness, she liked him. "Sorry, I just got here and I don't really know much about how this works."

"Well, it's your lucky day. I've become a bit of an expert around here. I'll show you the ropes."

"I can manage on my own, but thanks."

"A loner? Okay, I can take a hint."

"I didn't mean it like that." She blushed.

"I'm just teasing you."

Just then Annie heard Auggie's name being called. He got up and signaled to the man in the suit waving to him from the doorway. "That's my cue. I'll see you around, Walker."

She watched him walk away, threading his way around the various tables in the cafeteria. She couldn't help but admire the view. His jeans hung low on a nicely sculpted backside and his long-sleeved t-shirt didn't quite hide the chiseled chest underneath it. He was almost to the doorway when he bumped into a chair that was pulled out from the table. Auggie quickly righted himself and moved on. She watched as the man in the suit spoke to Auggie. His response was a quick, firm shake of his head, and then they were gone.

Annie sat at the counter contemplating her possible new friendship with this Auggie Anderson. What kind of name was 'Auggie' anyway. She wondered if it was short for something. Hmm. She chided herself. She wasn't here to make friends. She had been recruited by the CIA after they become aware of her vigilante behaviors. She's been a one-woman assassination team for the past two years. She was getting close to her target, but he still alluded her. Then, out of the blue, a woman approached her as she sat in a coffee shop. Lynn, was her name. She sat down with her coffee and spoke.

"Hello Annie. I'm Lynn. I'm with the CIA."

"Wha…"

"Please, let me finish and then you can ask all the questions you like."

Annie glared at the woman and simultaneously calculated how fast she could run to the emergency exit.

"We are aware of your activities involving Aamir Abbas. You've been tracking him for approximately two years and have managed to eliminate several close member of his entourage."

Lynn paused and watched Annie's reaction. When the young woman said nothing, she continued. "You've managed to elude police and homeland security quite effectively. You have skills."

"What do you want?" Annie's voice was steady and did not betray her emotions.

"We want you to work for us."

"No"

"You haven't even heard our offer."

"I don't care."

Lynn exhaled and took a sip of her coffee. "We know about your husband…how he died. We know why you do what you do."

"You know nothing."

"I'd hoped you'd see this as an opportunity to work together for a shared common goal. Your target is a threat to American interests. Eliminating him would help keep our citizens safer."

"That's not my objective."

Again, Lynn sipped her coffee. She turned to the window and watched people passing by. "I'm not sure I believe that, Annie, but in any case, we have enough evidence to put you away for a long time."

"If that were true, you would've done it already."

"Won't you consider working with us? You'd have sophisticated resources at your disposal."

That point perked her interest. She had skills, no doubt. Her husband had taught her well, but she lacked equipment and funding.

"Can I think about it?"

"Not really. The exits are covered by the way."

"What happens when my mission is complete? Will you just let me walk away?"

"I don't know. That's a matter for people with higher clearance than myself."

"That's not comforting."

"I hate to point this out, but you don't really have a choice."

xXx

The next day, Annie found herself at a nameless facility in Santa Barbara, California. She'd been given a physical and mental evaluation. She was told practically nothing as she was moved from test to test. Finally, she was taken to an office and told to wait.

"Ms. Walker?" A short, older man in a blue pinstripe suit entered the room carrying a thick file.

"Yes." She stood and smoothed the sleeves of the nondescript black sweatsuit she'd been given.

"I'm going to be in charge of your case. My name is Richard. Please have a seat."

Over the next hour, Richard, who was also a medical doctor, Annie learned, outlined the course of action that would prepare her to continue her mission. There was concern, he said, about her mental state. Before she could be 'in the field' they needed to make sure her mind was sound. A little therapy, he said.

Annie was skeptical, but, it was pointed out again, she had no choice, really.

That was yesterday and today was to be her first therapy session. She finished her coffee and headed back to her dorm room. She walked slowly through the hallways. The place seemed more like a spa than a CIA compound, but she supposed they knew what they were doing. She couldn't help but wonder about the other 'residents', Auggie in particular. Was he 'unstable' too?

xXx

Auggie was frustrated and taking it out on a heavy bag in the gym. This morning's session had proved beyond difficult. Attempting to master adaptive technology was not only a tough task, it was forcing him to confront the coming darkness, and that, he simply wasn't ready for.

He'd gotten more time than the doctors had originally predicted. Six months was the 'best case scenario,' but here he was, one full year later, still able to see. Of course, that depended on one's definition of 'seeing.' He was getting used to having practically no central vision. They told him that would be the first to go, but now the peripheral vision was starting to fade. He found himself crashing into things more and more frequently. Every time he thought about what was happening, his stomach flipped, his palms grew sweaty and his chest tightened.

His boss had kindly suggested that it was time for Auggie to put in his paperwork and accept his pension plus a disability bonus. After all, it was the job that set this unfortunate chain of events in motion. Auggie didn't really know what to do, but he certainly didn't think there would still be a place in the CIA for a blind operative. Luckily, the human resources representative had different ideas. She assessed his skills and told him that with the proper training, he could absolutely still be a valuable asset. He'd been excited, feeling for the first time since the diagnosis that there might be light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. That is, until he got here, to The Spa, as it was dubbed.

"Hey Aug." Auggie stopped the motion of the heavy bag. He was almost certain it was Alex; 'the wonder instructor.' The man had been hired to work one-on-one with Auggie. Auggie swung his head around toward the doorway. Despite the huge black blob in his central vision, Auggie was able to recognize Alex's electric green running shoes.

"Alex." Auggie resumed working on the punching bag.

"You know we have a session now."

Auggie grunted as he landed each punch. "Not now." As Auggie was about to make contact again with the bag, Alex moved it away. Auggie felt the whoosh of the air as his glove missed. The momentum carried him forward and he landed on his knees.

"Now." Alex spoke.

"I think you should give me a break after what happened this morning." He spoke as he got back on his feet.

"Auggie, did you think you'd master these skills the first time around?"

Actually, Auggie just assumed it would be easy. Anything computer related had always been easy for him. Struggling through basic computer skills left him feeling depressed and angry.

Auggie didn't answer the man.

"Well, right now I was thinking we could work on leads."

"Right. Well, I didn't bring my leash." Auggie snapped back sarcastically.

"Lucky for you, I did. And I don't want to practice walking. Let's go for a run."

Auggie's interest was piqued despite his best effort to act noncommittal.

"Meet me outside in fifteen." Alex said as he headed for the door.

xXx

An hour later, Alex and Auggie lay on the grass outside The Spa wheezing and trying to catch their breath.

"I thought I was in shape, man, but that was intense. I think I almost died about a mile back." Alex spoke while gulping air.

Auggie was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to admit it. He loved the feeling of running outdoors and had missed it severely since his vision had declined. His chest was heaving and his heart was thundering, but he couldn't seem to slow down. Alex had shown Auggie how a small length of rope held between them was really all the assistance they'd need. Alex matched his pace to Auggie's and that was really all there was to it.

"Wow, who's that?" Alex asked.

"Could you be a bit more descriptive?" Auggie asked. He tried to train his eyes in the direction Alex was looking, but all he could see were the dark blobs in his central vision.

"Um, blond, young-maybe mid-twenties. Walks fast. Geez, she's headed over here."

"Hi Auggie."

"Annie."

"I was just about to go for a run. Is this where the path starts?"

"Oh, um, yeah."

"I'm Alex, by the way." He stood up and extended his hand.

"Sorry, um, Alex, this is Annie."

"Pleasure."

"I've got to get going." And with that, she was jogging away.

"What's her story, man?" Alex nudged Auggie's arm.

"Do you know any of the basic rules of the CIA?"

"I'm a civilian, remember?"

"Yes. I remember, but you were thoroughly screened and you signed a million confidentiality disclosures."

"Right." Alex began to stretch. "So, do you know, but you can't tell me?"

Auggie groaned.

xXx

The next day Annie endured her usual round of therapy. She'd hoped she 'passed' whatever tests they were giving her. All she really cared about was getting back into the field and resuming her mission to bring down Abbas and his team. It was coming up on two years since Daniel died. Murdered by Abbas. Danny hadn't been the intended target, just an unfortunate casualty. Danny was with the Secret Service protecting some foreign diplomat. Abbas's men blew up his car. Danny was dead and there was no justice at all. The government could give her no answers and Aamir Abbas walked free.

Annie pushed those thoughts out of her head and decided to take advantage of the services offered at The Spa. She was capable, no doubt, but brushing up on her skills wouldn't hurt. She wondered down to one of the computer labs. The room was empty, so she took a seat in the back and entered the temporary code she'd been assigned. She practiced using the CIA databases that were accessible to her. She was absorbed in her work and had lost track of time. It wasn't until she heard a crash in the hallway that she looked up from her computer.

Annie walked to the doorway and looked down the hall. There, she was Auggie tangled up with a chair.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?" She pulled the chair away from him. He quickly righted himself and was brushing himself off. She watched a red tint appear in his cheeks.

"Fine." He stood straight and appeared to look past her down the hallway. Annie swung around to look behind her, but there was nothing there.

"Did you hit your head?"

"No, I'm okay. Just clumsy."

Annie seriously doubted he was clumsy, especially if he'd been a CIA operative. "Okay."

She waited but Auggie didn't move. He put the back of his hand against the wall. His breathing was shallow and he seemed anxious. Annie reached out and touched his arm. She felt the muscle jump under her fingers.

"You're not okay." She said softly. She watched him swallow, then lower his head. "Do you need help?"

He turned to look at her. She saw his dark brown eyes were widely dilated. In the brightly lit hallway, that was odd. He squinted at her and then ran his hand roughly through his hair.

"I just lost my balance. They said that would happen."

Annie was alarmed, but stayed quiet. What was wrong with him? He laughed a little. "I really am fine. Thanks for your help." He smiled at her and then continued down the hallway, leaving his hand in contact with the wall.

Annie went back into the lab and logged off the machine she'd been working on. She gathered her papers and headed back to the elevators. As she rounded the corner, she stopped, hearing Auggie's angry voice.

"What was I supposed to do, Alex? Wait for you?"

"Yes, Auggie. That's exactly what you were supposed to do. Your vision is not dependable anymore. Until you've learned basic mobility, you need a guide."

"_Mobility? Guide? _Was Auggie going blind? Oh, God, Annie thought. How tragic. Her heart lurched and she wished she'd helped him before. She watched as Alex took Auggie's hand and placed it on the back of his arm. They walked down the hallway and away from her.

Annie rode the elevator up to her floor and entered her dorm room. As much as she felt pity for Auggie, she reminded herself that she'd been on the receiving end of pity when Danny had died. She'd been absolutely repulsed by people and their condescending words. "I know what you must be feeling," and "Danny's in a better place." It was all she could do not to spit in their faces. Well, if there was one lesson she'd learned, it was not to offer pity.

At dinner that evening, Annie spotted Auggie at the same counter. She took a deep breath and headed over to the empty seat next to him. As she sat down, he turned to look at her.

"I take it you've discovered my big secret." He spoke to her without turning his head.

"Um, yeah. Although I'm not sure how long you could keep it a secret." She unfolded her napkin and arranged her silverware.

"It was a bad day."

"Uh huh." She was reading the menu card. Roasted chicken or lasagna. Neither seemed particularly appealing. "What are you supposed to do if you're a vegetarian?"

Auggie was surprised by her sudden turn in conversation. He looked over at her. Luckily his 'black out' from earlier was over, at least for now. From what he could tell, she was reading something, probably the menu. "The lasagna is meatless."

"Oh, joy."

Despite himself, he laughed. "You're hard to please, Walker."

"No, not usually."

"So, what'll it be?"

Annie put down her menu and turned to face him. His brown eyes were so warm and alive. She found herself being drawn in to him. She felt a familiar thump in her heart that she hadn't felt in a long time-connection. It had been missing so long. She's been cut off from everything except achieving her goal—murdering Danny's killer. She could almost feel her heart coming to life again and the emotion threatened the cold, protective walls she'd built up.

"I'm not hungry after all. I'll see you later, Aug." She got up and touched his shoulder as she passed by. There was no mistaking the heavy emotion in her voice. Auggie had heard snippets here and there about the mysterious Annie Walker. She was a loner, they'd said. She didn't like to talk to people, especially the shrinks. She was only here because the CIA could use her and vice versa.

"Hey Anderson, what'll it be? Chicken or Lasagna?" Auggie swung around and saw Charlie, the kitchen chef standing in front of him. As with most people here, Charlie was well aware of Auggie's condition and had gone out of his way to assist him.

"Tell me this, Charlie…is the lasagna really meatless?"

Charlie laughed out loud and mumbled something to himself about kids today. Auggie wasn't sure he'd actually gotten an answer, but a few minutes later a thick slice of lasagna was in front of him.

"Here you go, son. Lasagna is the only thing on the plate. A small salad at 10:00. A dinner roll at 2:00."

Auggie nodded to the man and then began eating. He could still see the plate. Well, he could see some of it. Auggie ate without tasting his food. Everything single thing he did was going to be affected by his fading vision. Usually, he could push those thoughts away, but right now, it overwhelmed him. About half way through, Auggie pushed the plate away and got up. He walked around the perimeter of the room this time, rather than weave in and out of chairs and tables. He walked outside and down the path that lead to one of the outer buildings. He gulped in air and tried to calm the paralyzing fear that was over taking him. He leaned against the back of a shed and tried to stop the tears from coming.

Finally, when he had himself under control, he turned to head back inside. He realized suddenly that he'd been outside too long and now the sun was almost completely down. He looked toward the main building, but could see only dim lights in the distance. The path between him and the building was nothing but blackness.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward. So far, so good, he thought. He took a few more steps and successfully found the concrete path that lead to the building. He walked slowly, but with a little more confidence that he could make it.

"Where you going?"

Auggie stopped suddenly. Annie. Shit. She knew his sad story and now probably pitied the poor, lost blind man.

"I'm going back inside."

"You're walking toward the boat house."

Annie watched him as the frustration bubbled to the surface. Despite herself, she cared about him. "Turn around if you want to go back to the main building."

Auggie said nothing, but followed her instructions. She watched as he walked away. About twenty steps away, he started to head diagonally across the path and soon stepped into the grass. She was at his side in an instant.

"Shouldn't you have a cane or something?" She took his hand and pulled him back onto the path.

"I don't need it yet." He said tightly.

Annie didn't answer. She didn't feel like pointing out the obvious. She released his hand. "Go ahead. I'll watch you til you get in."

He took another few steps and then stopped and turned. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I don't know. Clearing my head."

"Are you okay? You don't have to talk to me, if you don't want…I just…" he laughed. "If we were anywhere else, I'd offer to buy you a beer and we could drown our sorrows."

Annie laughed. "It's been a long time." She said wistfully.

"Another time, another place…" Auggie trailed off.

"Yeah, maybe in another life we knew each other." She smiled.

"You believe in that stuff?" Auggie was looking away from her.

Annie swallowed hard. She didn't used to believe in Heaven or Life After Death. She and Danny believed firmly in the 'here and now,' but ever since he died, she'd hoped and even prayed there was more than just this one life. She'd do anything to see him again. "I don't know, Auggie. I hope so."

Auggie put his hands in his back pockets. "I just hope I'm not blind in my other lives."

Annie looked at him and could see the pain that he'd tried so hard to hide. It was pure grief and she recognized it.

"My husband died." After the words came out of her mouth, she was stunned. She hadn't talked to anyone about Danny, besides Lynn the recruiter, in almost two years.

Auggie turned and seemed to stare directly at her. "Is that why you're here?"

"Yeah. At least, I thought it was." She looked at his tanned face with its hard, masculine planes and fought a strong desire to touch him. "I feel confused now."

"What do you mean?"

She exhaled and shook her head to clear her mind. "Things don't seem so clear anymore."

Auggie laughed. "That makes two of us, Walker." He extended his elbow, "C'mon, I'll walk you back to your room."

Now it was her turn to laugh. She linked her arm with his and gently guided him back to the main building.

The next morning, Annie actually felt herself somewhat excited at the thought of having breakfast with Auggie. Her feelings confused her, but at the very least, she decided it was okay to let someone in. She'd been driven to avenge Danny's death, and nothing would change that, but if she were being honest with herself, she'd been lonely. Terribly lonely.

She headed downstairs to the main lobby and passed a very distraught looking Alex.

"Alex? What's the matter?" She grabbed his arm.

"It's Auggie, Annie. He's been hospitalized. I'm heading there now."

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know exactly. I'll know more when I speak to the doctors. All I know is he woke up this morning and all of his remaining eye sight was gone."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry, sorry, sorry for the super long delay….alas, work gets in the way. Next installment will come sooner, I hope! Anyway, here's chapter 2. Please feel free to let me know what you think!**

Auggie was surprised and a little nervous, if truth be told, when he learned that Annie was waiting for him in the main visiting area. He had been at the VA Blind Rehabilitation Center for a week, and after his three day indulgent pity party, he'd decided that he'd better get going with the work or else he wouldn't have much of a life to return to.

He was in his room when the call came in about Annie, so he grabbed his cane and headed down the hall. He didn't really need his cane here. The walls had railings with markings on them and he had no trouble remember the route or how many doors he needed to pass.

He stopped outside the door to the visiting area and listened. He could hear the low murmur of two people off in the corner. He was reasonably sure that was Marcus. A US Marine blinded in an IED attack. His fiancé came to see him every day. Auggie leaned slightly into the room and inhaled. There…he smelled it again…grapefruit.

"Annie?" He called. He cocked his head to listen. He heard the rustle of fabric and a very light tread coming toward him.

"Hey." She said softly.

"I'm glad you came." He smiled and tried to put her at ease.

"Are you okay?"

He could tell that she'd dropped her head by the direction of her voice. He figured she was probably embarrassed and didn't know what to say. Well, that made two of them.

"I'm gonna be."

She waited and watched. He was holding a cane, but it was still folded up. She could see the tendons on his arms and again had the urge to touch him.

"I saw a Starbucks next door. You wanna go?"

"Sure." Auggie couldn't believe he'd just said yes to that. He hadn't left the center since his arrival. Hell, he'd barely left his room. Fear coursed through him, but he swallowed it down.

"How do we do this?" She asked simply.

Her straight forward question relaxed him instantly and he realized that not everything had to be a big deal.

"Here…when you want to lead me, just bump the back of my hand with yours. That way, I'll know where your arm is. Then I'll just hold on, like this…" he demonstrated and snaked his hand up her arm. She was wearing some sort of thin, long-sleeved shirt. He briefly wondered what color it was.

"Now, just start walking. I'll stay about a half a pace behind you. You don't have to call out steps or obstacles. I'll feel your change in direction."

"Got it." She said as she began to move forward.

Auggie was quietly amazed by her. She began walking at a normal pace and after only a few steps, they seemed to fall into a natural cadence. He'd been practicing with the instructors as much as possible, but with Annie, it suddenly felt natural. He focused on the sounds around them and heard the swish of the automatic door as they approached. He could hear the traffic in the street and the sounds of other pedestrians. Annie turned left and Auggie followed. They walked for about a minute when Auggie detected the distinct aroma of coffee beans.

"I smell the coffee."

"Yeah? We're just about there." Annie pulled him to the left. He felt a slight incline and then Annie's motion as she pulled open the door.

"Do you know what you want?" She asked as they shuffled forward in line.

"Um, just a coffee. Nothing fancy. Large."

"Okay."

Auggie listened to Annie place their orders. She got some sort of caramel whipped thing. She touched his hand again when it was time to move.

"There's a little table in the corner. Let's grab it." Annie maneuvered them to the table with a gracefulness that surprised him. At the table she took his hand and placed it on the back of the chair. Auggie felt for the seat and tentatively sat down, carefully putting his coffee cup down on the table.

"So, how's life at The Spa treating you?"

"Honestly? It's not what I thought it'd be."

Auggie wrinkled his brow. He knew a little of Annie's story, but not much.

"Why not?"

"I've already made a lot of progress on my own. I've cultivated my own assets, shall we say."

"They think you can get close to the target. They want to piggyback their agenda onto yours."

Annie was surprised. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too."

"What exactly is your end-game, Annie?"

Annie looked up and connected with Auggie's penetrating gaze. "Auggie, you're completely staring at me."

She watched as his cheeks turned pink. "Sorry. It's not intentional. I'm not really staring, just so you know."

"How do you do that, then?"

"They say it's just habit. People that lost their sight later in life are just used to making eye contact and facing the person they're talking to."

"Huh."

"As you were saying…."

"The end-game."

"Yeah, the end-game, Walker. What'll you do after?"

"After?" She looked away from his face. She didn't want to lie to him. In fact, she wasn't sure she could. Something about him….he seemed to know her. "I haven't really planned for 'after.'"

"This is a suicide mission." He said matter-of-factly and took a long drink from his coffee.

"No."

"No?"

"Honestly, Auggie, that's not my intention, but I will see this through at all costs."

"Even if it costs you your life?"

"It already did."

Auggie was silent. He didn't want to point out the obvious-she was still alive. Despite the horror of having her husband blown to pieces, she was alive. At least physically.

"So, why exactly does the CIA want to piggyback ride on my mission? What's their interest?"

"I don't know. I don't even know the details of your mission."

"Oh." She blew out a frustrated breath.

Auggie tried to read her mood, but it was difficult without being able to see her face. He felt the pain of his vision loss sharply for a moment, but then reminded himself that he'd had far from 20/20 vision for the past year. He'd learned in therapy that he'd actually been cultivating techniques to compensate for a while.

"I'm glad you came." He didn't know why he'd said that, but he realized it was true.

Annie watched him duck his head. She felt herself smile. "Yeah? Me too."

After the coffee was gone, they walked back to the center and said their goodbyes. Auggie stood on the front patio as Annie headed toward the parking lot. It seemed rude somehow to turn his back on her, even though he couldn't actually see her walking away. He strained to hear any sound of her but there was nothing. He turned to walk back inside when he heard a double honk of a horn. He waved and then walked inside, smiling.

The next morning, Auggie was surprised to learn that he had another visitor. He was told by Lucy, at the front desk to come to the director's office, where this visitor would be waiting for him. He grabbed his cane and made his way down the hall.

"Hello?" He called out into the open doorway.

"Auggie."

Auggie straightened up immediately. He hadn't expected to ever hear from his old boss again.

"Joan. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to visit you…see how you're making out." Her voice remained neutral. "Please, come in. Mr. Abrahamson has been kind enough to lend me his office for the time being, so we'll have privacy."

Auggie said nothing, but immediately wondered what on earth they needed privacy for. He slowly entered. Auggie had been in this room only once before and didn't remember the layout. He moved his cane from side to side until it hit against something. He felt a chair and lowered himself into it.

"How are you, Auggie?" She spoke from somewhere above him. He assumed she was leaning against the desk-a position she often assumed when briefing him on some mission.

"Fine."

Auggie heard her clear her throat. It was uncharacteristic for his boss to be at a loss for words.

"Auggie, I'm here for two reasons. The first….well….I wanted to find out how you were…and to tell you that….I'm here….if you need anything."

Auggie was somewhat stunned by this. He had worked for Joan for two years and never once had they had a personal conversation. He liked working for Joan and had come to depend on her no-nonsense way of handling things.

"Thank you."

Again, Joan cleared her throat. "The other reason I'm here…well…is to put you to work."

"Joan…I appreciate the thought….really…..I want to work, believe me, but I don't think…."

"It's not your eyes that I need, Auggie, it's your ears."

Auggie leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow in Joan's direction.

"It's come to my attention that you've cultivated a friendship with Anne Walker."

"Annie."

"Annie, right. She has access to key players surrounding Aamir Abbas. We need to know what she knows."

"Can't you just bug her phone…read her emails."

"We have. She's good. We don't have anything."

Auggie tried to disguise the smile at Annie's paranoia. "And you want me to get it out of her?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Auggie, we have the same objective. Anne…Annie, that is… she's been resistant to our attempts to share intel. We both have an interest in bringing down the Abbas empire, but if we do it together, well, there's more of a possibility Annie will make it out alive."

Auggie swallow hard and turned away from Joan. He hadn't known Annie long, but he'd grown attached to her and the thought of her dead was…painful.

"So, you want me to get her talking."

"Basically, yes. You'll be her handler, in an unofficial capacity."

"What's the timeline? Do you have any idea when she's planning to make a move?"

"There are factors in play. Aamir Abbas is out of the country now, and has no immediate plans to return, but as we know, plans change."

"Yeah, they do." Auggie turned back to face Joan.

"So, what do you say?"

"I don't like lying to her. I want to read her in."

"I don't think that's wise. There's a real possibility she'll run."

"If she's smart, and I think she is, she'll have already wondered what my agenda is."

"You think she'll suspect you of working her as an asset?"

"I don't know." Auggie felt tension building up in his neck. He was growing weary of this conversation.

Joan seemed to realize it was time to go. "Think about it Auggie."

"Yeah, I will."

"And, with the other stuff…I know you can do it. There's not much you can't do."

Auggie swallowed the lump in his throat and got to his feet. He was about to thank her when she spoke again.

"Here's the file." She put a USB memory stick in his hand, then patted his shoulder and was gone.

xXx

The following evening, Auggie was working well past midnight with his new computer trying to get accustomed to the voice software and braille keyboard. He'd been practicing braille for the past few months, knowing that he'd need it eventually. He struggled still, but vowed to become proficient. One of his teachers told him that soon he would be able to listen to the reading software program at double speed, though he doubted it. He wearily rubbed his face and pulled the headphones down around his neck.

"I wondered when you'd take a break."

Auggie jumped half way out of his chair with a scream in his throat.

"Annie? Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry."

"Why are you coming in the window?"

"I needed to see you."

Auggie finally felt his heart rate returning to normal. "And you couldn't use the door like a normal person. We might have to review the rules of etiquette around blind people."

"Sorry."

"So, come in and tell me what the hell is going on."

Auggie stood with his arms crossed while Annie took a seat on his bed.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving."

"What? Why?" He moved toward her. He wanted to sit down next to her, but he wasn't exactly sure where she was. He stopped and as he reached out to find the corner of the bed, he felt her small hand on his arm tugging him gently to sit next to her. "Thanks." He mumbled. Would he forever be indebted to people now that he needed help constantly? The thought made bile rise in his throat.

"You know, it's like the same thing as someone holding a door open for the person behind them, right?"

Auggie turned his head in her direction. Somehow, she had picked up on exactly what he'd been feeling. He felt a lightness enter his chest and relax his muscles. Maybe she was right…maybe it wasn't a constant act of charity when people saw the poor blind man struggling. Maybe it was just courtesy? He felt Annie's hand on his back. He reached over and located her knee and gave it a squeeze, still unable to speak.

"Anyway, I'll be back, but I have to take off for a few days."

"What are you gonna do?" He asked.

"Don't worry. It's just a little recon. Nothing dangerous."

"I never worry." He smiled.

"I hear you're pretty good with computers." She said as she stood and headed back toward the window.

"Yeah? Well, I was….I'm working on getting back up to speed."

"That's good to hear. I may need your help with something when I get back." She watched him smile as she hopped through the window and down to the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A bit of a transitional chapter. Chapter 4 will be more 'fun.' Thank you to all who are reading and reviewing. Those reviews are precious to me and inspiring! Keep them coming! As always, I apologize for any mistakes-I proofread, but still things seem to get by me.**

She knew she was dreaming, but she didn't care. He was there. She could see him just across the plaza, dressed in his black suit and crisp white shirt. Danny looked so official, dressed in his Secret Service attire. She watched him touch his hand to his ear and knew he was listening to something through the earpiece communicator he wore. He shifted subtly, but she recognized the tightness in his body and knew something had happened.

She was across the plaza, behind a barricade. It wasn't often she could see her husband at work, but today he was escorting a foreign diplomat, who's name she couldn't remember. Danny knew she was there in the crowd. Briefly their eyes met and held and she saw that same hint of a grin that she first saw 7 years ago when they'd been sophomores in college.

Then she felt it before she heard it. A thud of some sort. She thought she was falling and looked down expecting to see the ground crumpling beneath her. She looked up and felt dust hit her face, like an ocean mist. She tasted dusty chalk in her mouth. She looked down at her hands and saw they too were covered in a white powder. Total confusion plagued her. Then she remembered Danny was there. She swung her head around expecting to see him coming toward her. Those green eyes locked on her, no one but her.

But he wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. He had been blown in nothingness. The coroner had told her that there was no body. One minute he was standing there in his black suit, listening to someone talking in his earpiece. The next minute he was dust.

Annie woke up and rolled onto the empty side of the bed. She'd finally stopped after 8 hours on the road and checked herself into a cheap motel. She'd eaten a dinner of candy bars and washed it down with 2 Dr. Peppers from the vending machine. It was no wonder she'd had a bad dream. She sat up and pushed her hair back from her head and checked the clock. 3:14 am.

She got out of bed and splashed some water on her face. For the first time in a long time, she had a desire to talk to someone. If she was being honest with herself, she had a desire to talk to Auggie. This feeling intrigued and alarmed her. Making a connection with someone would only make it harder in the end. She knew that, but still…. Could it hurt to call him? Just hear his voice?

Before she could think too much, she dug her burner phone out of her backpack.

"Hello?" A groggy voice answered.

"I woke you."

"Annie? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just…. I'm sorry. I should let you get back to sleep."

"No, it's okay. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's dumb."

"You had a bad dream."

Annie felt her breath hitch. "Yeah." she croaked out.

"I've had a few of those."

"Did you go back to sleep after?"

Auggie's deep voice vibrated through the phone. "No."

"I wish you were here." She hadn't meant to say that.

"Why?"

Annie could feel her cheeks heating with embarrassment. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out. It's been a while since I've had anyone to talk to and I think I've lost some social graces." She laughed at herself.

"Where are you, Annie? I tried calling you earlier but it went right to voicemail and the number you're using now is different."

"I left my phone back at The Spa. Can't risk being tracked."

"Aren't you taking a risk by calling me?"

"Auggie, I know we haven't known each other that long, but I trust you. I just do."

Auggie swallowed the lump in his throat. He'd begun tracing her call the second his caller i.d. announced an unknown number. According to his Braille display, she was pinging off a cell tower in Las Vegas.

"What are you doing, Annie?"

"Nothing dangerous. Just gathering some intel."

"Where are you?" He held his breath wondering if she'd be honest.

"Nevada."

Auggie slowly exhaled. "When will you be back?"

"Two days."

"When you get back, we need to talk."

"Yeah."

xXx

Two days later, Annie walked into the Rehab Center looking for Auggie. The front desk attendant called his room, but there was no answer. She checked his schedule and told Annie he was not in a session, so he was probably around the grounds somewhere.

Annie wondered around for a few minutes and then spotted him outside in the garden. He was walking along the winding path slowly, but steadily. His cane swept back and forth in front of him. His free hand was held slightly in front of him. She stood still and waited for him to come closer. When he was about fifteen feet away, he stopped and tilted his head up.

"Walker?"

"Auggie."

She watched his mouth form his trademark lopsided smile. "You're back." He pulled his cane up in front of him and put both hands on top.

"I'm back." She smiled as she walked toward him. He looked better, she noticed. The dark circles under his eyes were almost gone.

"How'd it go?"

"Fine." She answered. She watched him raise one eyebrow.

"Annie, can we talk?"

"Okay."

"Here, let's go find that bench in the back garden." He reached out and found her elbow easily and gently turned her around so they were walking back in the direction he'd come from. As the bench neared, she slowed down and took his hand off her elbow and touched it to the bench.

They sat down and remained silent. The only sound came from Auggie quickly folding up his cane.

"Are you gonna read me in to what you're doing?"

"I…um…I don't…." she stammered.

"Cause here's the deal. You can't have it both ways. I can't know enough to worry, but not know enough to help you. "

"I don't need your help."

He leaned back and turned away from her. "That might be true, but you seem to want my help, nonetheless. Or am I wrong?"

"I just…I wanted a friend."

The quiet, solemn quality in her voice had him swinging back around to face her. "I want to be your friend, but you're kidding yourself if you really think that's all there is."

Annie felt her heart speed up. "Auggie…."

"You're taking advantage of the situation."

"What! No!" She got to her feet. "Why would you think that!"

"Well, it's not just anyone that you can confide details of this mission to, right?"

"You're the only person I've ever talked to about it." she whispered.

"Why?" He stood and reached out to her.

She watched his hand, suspended in the air. She wanted to touch him. It was almost a physical need in her, but she resisted. He was hitting to close to home, and alarm bells were starting to go off in her head.

"Annie?" He'd taken a step towards her. She watched the uncertainty cross his face and she couldn't bear to let him flounder even for a moment.

"I'm here." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She watched relief flicker across his features before he returned to the careful mask of indifference he normally wore.

"Let me in."

"I'm not taking advantage of you."

"That's not what I meant." He ran his hand up to her shoulder and held her so that she faced him. "Annie, what I'm trying to say is that whether you realize it or not, you're letting me in for a reason."

"I…I just…."

"It's okay. We don't have to label it….this….whatever we have. We can just let it be."

Annie felt relief wash over her. She knew Auggie was right. She knew that when she befriended him, he was in the CIA. She'd gone into this relationship with all the cards on the table, so she really had no one to blame but herself that he was invested now.

"Okay."

Auggie returned his grip to her elbow and gently pulled her forward to continue on the path.

"So, how are you, Auggie? We seem to spend an awful lot of time talking about me."

Auggie didn't answer except to blow out a frustrated breath.

"That good, huh?" She smiled and touched his hand.

"It's going fine. Just overwhelming."

"How so?"

"I don't know….it's nothing."

Annie pulled them both to a stop. "You're not evading me that easily."

He smiled at her. "You're stubborn, you know that?"

"I've been told. I was thinking…"

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Har. Anyway….I was thinking, how would you feel about getting outta here for the weekend? I have a little cabin on a lake about 4 hours north of here. I was thinking about going up there."

Auggie immediately felt panic and fear in his gut. His first reaction had been joy at the idea of a weekend away, but then reality came crashing back down on him. He was like a babe in the woods still; his independent living skills were shaky at best and that was here at the rehab center. He didn't think he was ready for a new environment.

"I don't think so."

"Auggie, I know you feel nervous about coming with me, but I don't want you to. I know thinks are still raw for you. I'm okay with it, if you are. I will help you."

Auggie didn't know why she seemed to hold some sort of power over him. No one else in his life could change his mind with only the sound of their voice, but Annie could. Despite his reservations, he decided to take a leap of faith and trust her.

"Okay Walker, I'll come, but you have to know ahead of time….I'm….I'm still not…."

"It's okay Auggie. We'll figure it out together."

Auggie swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He knew she didn't really know what she was getting into with him, but somehow, he trusted her. He gave her hand a squeeze as they walked back into the rehab center.

"I'm gonna head back to The Spa and wrap up a few loose ends. I'll swing by here on Friday around noon to pick you up."

"Okay."

"Is there anything you need? Anything I should pick up ahead of time?"

"Maybe a bottle of Patron." He chuckled.

"Way ahead of you, Auggie." She laughed. "I'll see you on Friday." She moved her arm away from his grasp and squeezed his hand as they parted.

"Yeah, see ya." Auggie stood in the doorway and listened to the sound of her retreating footsteps. When he heard her telltale double honk of her car horn, he went back inside and into his room. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket hit speed dial #2.

"Hello Auggie."

"Joan."

"I assume you have news."

"No, but I should have something after this weekend. Annie and I are travelling for a weekend getaway, of sorts."

"I don't have to remind you that this is a 'time sensitive' matter."

"I'm doing my best, Joan."

"That is always my presumption. How is the asset developing?"

Auggie squeezed his eyes tight at the thought of Annie being his 'asset.' "She's still very guarded."

"What about her tech? Will there be an opportunity to copy?"

"Joan, I'll try, but I'm flying blind here, remember." Auggie laughed mirthlessly.

"I appreciate your situation Auggie. I'm not trying to push you. "

"I have the skills to do it. I'm just not sure about opportunity."

"Understood. Do your best, and report back."

Auggie heard the line go dead. He replaced his phone in his pocket and then dropped his head into his hands. What the hell had he agreed to? Annie was his friend. She trusted him and he trusted her. He'd be almost completely dependent on her this weekend, and yet somehow he was supposed to clandestinely download files off her computer. What the hell was he doing? He knew that he was doing this for the 'greater good' and he hoped that Annie would come to see that eventually. He just worried that their tender and new friendship would be demolished in the process.


	4. Chapter 4

Annie drove with the windows down along the Pacific Coast Highway. Auggie remained mostly silent with his headphones in his ears. Occasionally he would lean his head back on the headrest and close his eyes. The silence wasn't awkward and for that, Annie was grateful.

She was happy Auggie agreed to come with her. She felt like it would be a good idea for both of them to get away from things for a while, but she was nervous handling Auggie. Her people skills were definitely a little rusty and she worried that she'd inadvertently say something or do something to hurt him.

They were nearing the town of West Lake, where Annie's grandparents had a small cabin. Annie loved it there. The memories of long summer nights with her grandparents warmed her heart. After her parents died when she was 10, her grandparents stepped in and raised her. Their deaths, 8 and 9 years ago, left her feeling adrift. She was alone in the world without a tether, until she met Danny.

Annie shook her head to clear her mind. She pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of a local grocery store.

"We're at O'Malley's Market. Thought we should stock up on some food."

Auggie nodded and unbuckled his seatbelt. He smoothly exited the car and came around to her side. She bumped his hand and then felt him latch on to her elbow.

Inside, she grabbed a small cart and began walking up and down the aisles.

"I'm not much of a cook, I'm afraid."

"Whatever you want is fine with me."

Annie noticed Auggie's lack of enthusiasm, but decided not to comment on it. "Okay, I'm gonna stock up on frozen dinners and maybe some hamburger patties?"

"Yeah, okay."

Annie moved slowly up and down the short aisles grabbing various items. At one corner, she noticed two teenage girls giggling and whispering. She felt dread in the pit of her stomach when she heard one say, "Look at the guy…I think he's blind!"

She looked over at Auggie, but his expression was unchanged. In his uncanny way, he turned to her and said, "It's okay, Walker. I'm not upset."

"Okay." She proceeded to the checkout and paid without further incident.

They got back on the road and began the final leg of their journey. Annie debated whether or not to bring up the grocery store incident, but decided against it. She figured if Auggie wanted to talk, he'd talk.

"You're quiet." He said.

"I know. I'm nervous."

"About me?"

"Kind of."

"I guess you've never spent a weekend getaway with a newly blinded CIA agent?"

She laughed. "And I guess you've never spent a weekend with a widowed, hell-bent on vengeance, rogue assassin?"

She chuckled at herself, but soon realized Auggie wasn't laughing. "Walker, I don't like that."

"C'mon Auggie. I was trying to be funny."

"I know, but there's truth in that. You think of yourself as an assassin?"

"I don't know. I don't have to label it..whatever it is. I know what I'm doing—what I have to do."

Auggie was silent, but Annie could tell from the tightness in his mouth he had more he wanted to say.

"We're here." Annie pulled the car up the drive, parallel to the house. "Let me take you inside and then I'll grab our things."

"No. I can help." Auggie barked.

Annie was a little taken aback. Obviously she had mistepped. "Yeah, okay. I could use a little help with the heavy lifting anyway. I got a case of beer." She watched a smile spread on Auggie's face and was relieved.

"A case? It better not be some girly beer." He trailed his hand along the car until he was at the trunk.

"It's Yuengling."

"No complaints here." He smiled as he located the case and hoisted it easily out of the trunk. "Okay, you steer, I'll carry."

After they'd made several trips, everything was inside and they stood together in the entryway of the small cabin. Auggie held his cane tightly.

"You want me to give you the basic layout?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, to your left is the main family room. To the right is the kitchen. There's a hall way straight ahead. The bedrooms and bathroom are off the hallway."

"Thanks."

Annie moved into the kitchen and began putting away the groceries. She kept an eye on Auggie and watched as he slowly made his way around the family room, touching pieces of furniture. After a few minutes, he found the big bay window that overlooked the lake.

"What's outside?"

Annie walked over and stood next to him. "The lake."

"What does it look like?" He touched the glass.

Annie studied his long, masculine fingers. Her hand twitched with the urge to touch him. "Um, it's kind of foggy right now. Like a smoky mist on the water."

She watched him close his eyes and swallow. "You want me to show you your room?"

"Yeah." his voice was thick with emotion. She tapped his hand and when he grabbed her elbow, she escorted him to the master bedroom with attached bath.

"This bedroom is big." He commented.

"You're the guest and I wanted you to have the private bathroom."

He raised one eyebrow but said nothing.

"I'm gonna go unpack and change. Then maybe we can crack into the snacks."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan."

She walked to the doorway. "Auggie, I'm just gonna say this, so don't be mad, okay?" She swallowed as he turned and faced her. "If you need help, just give a shout, okay?"

"Yup." He answered as he headed to the bed to retrieve his bag.

She left and walked down the hall to her room, wondering if she'd been too hasty in insisting on this trip. Who was she to decide what Auggie needed?

xXx

Two hours later, Annie sat outside, next to the fire pit nursing her beer. She'd checked on Auggie after she'd unpacked and found him sound asleep in his room.

"Annie?"

"I'm on the back deck." She ran to the door and opened it for him. As he passed her, she realized that he'd showered. Her mouth went dry as she took in his appearance. His still wet, slightly shaggy hair curled at the ends. He had on some kind of black thermal long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans that hug off his slim hips. The scent of whatever shampoo he used was arousing to her—like the ocean and the woods combined.

"You okay?" His head was tilted slightly to the side.

"Fine." She led him to the other chair by the fire.

"You built a fire? How long was I asleep?" He laughed.

"A while. "

"Sorry about that. I'm not the best company."

"I think you're just fine. Here, have a beer."

He smiled and reached out. She watched his throat move as he swallowed. "Thanks."

He sat back in the chair and exhaled deeply.

"Auggie, can I ask you a question?"

"About this?" He gestured to his eyes.

"Oh, um. No, it's something else."

"Okay, shoot."

"How much do you know about me?" She didn't know where that came from, but suddenly she wanted the answer.

Auggie looked a little startled. "Um, well, I know all about your husband…."

"You know more, don't you?"

Auggie vacillated for a second. "Yeah, I do."

"How much?"

"Pretty much everything til you went off the grid six months after Danny died. You covered your tracks well, by the way. Who taught you hacking skills?"

"If you read my file, then you should know."

"Annie…"

"Were you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what? That I read your file?"

"Yes!"

"I thought that you would have known that. You've been recruited by the CIA, Annie. Believe me, they've thoroughly vetted you."

"They? How did 'they' become 'you'?"

"Annie…."

"Are you spying on me?"

Auggie rubbed his hands over his face. He decided the truth wasn't the right decision right now. "No! But I am a CIA operative, or I was. I don't know what I am anymore, but I _am_ still CIA and they weren't going to let me go on this little field trip with you without knowing all the facts."

Auggie waited, listening intently.

"Well, turnabout is fair play."

"Meaning?"

"Oh, I think you get me meaning."

"You want to read my file?"

I figured I'd just get the information first hand."

"We're gonna need something stronger than beer."

Annie smiled despite herself. "I brought Patron."

"I know. I think you should go get it."

Annie scurried off to the kitchen. Auggie stood up and stretched. He had a feeling he was about to cross a line in the sand with Annie and things would never be the same afterwards. He turned when he heard the sounds of glasses clinking together.

"Shotglasses. One's from Niagara Falls and the other from Graceland."

"Graceland please." He felt her put the small glass in his hand and then downed it immediately.

"We didn't even start the 'question and answer' portion of the evening yet."

"I know. I needed to get ready." He smiled at her and then sat. "Okay, Walker. What do you wanna know? Should I start at the beginning?"

"No. That's too cliché. Um, how about you start with your last mission."

She watched darkness pass though his features. "You mean the one that ended up with me in the dark?"

"Yeah."

"It was a chemical. It burned my right eye. I had treatments and surgeries for it. It was getting better, but then the left eye—the healthy eye, started to deteriorate."

"Why would that happen?"

"Who knows? It's some sort of 'sympathetic response'."

"Sympathetic?"

"I know it's a weird word to describe it. Basically means what happened in my bad eye started happening in the good one."

"Why couldn't they stop it?"

"They tried, but my body rejected the treatment. The nerves just eventually died."

"Why did it happen suddenly back at The Spa?"

"Oh, that was an extra bit of fun. I almost forgot about that. Blood clot. It detached my retinas."

"Jesus, Auggie. I know it's cliché to say, but I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Auggie said nothing but dropped his head. He held out his shot glass. "I'm probably gonna regret this. I haven't had any alcohol in a while."

"We'll take it easy, promise." She refilled his glass.

"What else?"

"Well, how about we start at the beginning….when did you join the CIA?"

xXx

Two hours later, the fire was dying and they were both tipsy. Annie noticed that Auggie was much more relaxed talking about his early days in the CIA rather than the unfortunate recent turn of events.

"I'm cold." She shivered and stood.

"Yeah, I think we should grab some dinner. Maybe that'll sober me up a little." Auggie stood and unfolded his cane. Annie noticed his lean a little to the left.

"Auggie? "

"I'm okay. I just never did this in the dark." He chuckled as he stepped forward. "Where'd you go?" He reached out and Annie seamlessly stepped into his waiting hand. She walked them back inside.

"Here, you sit. I'll get dinner." She touched his hand to the back of the stool at the breakfast bar.

"I feel like I should help."

"We're having hot dogs. It only takes one person to operate the microwave."

Auggie barked laughter. "You know, you're making this very easy on me, right?"

"Why? Was it supposed to be challenging? I thought the whole idea of coming here was to relax."

"Come here."

Annie walked slowly around the around the counter until she stood next to him. The scent of him was driving her mad and she itched to run her fingers through his hair. He held out his hand for her. She slid her hand into his warm, strong palm. He pulled her closer and then put his hands on her arms and slowly moved them up until he held her head gently.

"Walker…"

She stared into his dark brown eyes. Despite being slightly off-focus, they seemed to smolder with heat. She was about to speak, when he moved toward her. The contact of his lips on hers made her head swim. He kissed her gently, with reverence and then pulled back.

"I've been waiting to do that since the first day I met you."

She was still caught in his spell, still unable to form a coherent thought. Her head spun with the magic of the moment and she decided for a little while, it was okay to forget what brought them together in the first place. She leaned in and gently touched her lips to his again.

Auggie stood and pulled her against him. His strong arms slid down her back and encircled her waist. She felt her own hands fist in his shirt, pulling at him, trying to get closer. She felt like she was diving deep, never needing air. All she wanted was to stay in this moment, locked with Auggie. Finally, they broke the kiss and Auggie stepped back.

"Annie?"

"Hmm." She whispered.

"Did you….was that…."

"Auggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Take me to bed."


	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapter for you! Thanks to all who are reading and **_**especially**_** to those that are reviewing. I love getting them! **

Annie didn't bother thinking about how they'd get to the bedroom. Auggie had scooped her up effortlessly and made the journey back to his room fairly well. They only crashed into the doorway. Somehow, he'd deposited her on the bed all the while kissing her senseless.

His shirt was gone in a flash and she finally got the chance to run her fingers along those taut muscles. His body was sculpted like stone and she eagerly dug her fingers into his flesh. Next, Auggie slid her shirt over her head. He reached behind her and with a practiced ease, undid the clasp of her bra.

"Not your first time doing that, I take it?" She asked.

"No," his deep voice rumbled against the side of her neck. She felt her insides quiver with pure need for him. He bent his head and kissed her gently. She pushed her hands through that mass of dark hair. It was so soft. She hadn't expected it to be so soft.

Annie tugged at the waistband of his jeans, indicating that he should lose those too. He pushed up off the mattress and slid his jeans down his slim hips. He wore boxer-briefs, black. Annie stifled her moan, but grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down on top of her.

"Wait."

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

He smiled again and then flipped them over. Now, she was on top, straddling him.

"Lose these." He fingered her yoga pants. She slid to the side and quickly removed her pants. Then his hands were on her hips again, pulling her back on top of him. She laid her body on top of his and kissed him until she could no longer breathe.

"You okay, Walker?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"Definitely."

xXx

An hour later, they both lay breathless on the bed. She was curled up on Auggie's side with a sheet covering them.

"That was…."

"Yeah." She finished. "Good."

"Annie…"

"We don't have to talk about it, Auggie. Can we just let it be?"

"I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"How would you be doing that?"

"I don't know, but it felt like an escape…or a reprieve…"

"From the dark?"

He was silent, but he nodded just once. She guessed what he was feeling because she was feeling the same way. They were using each other, and maybe that was just fine, for now.

"I'm gonna take a shower and then we'll have dinner." She extricated herself from the tangled sheet, glad for Auggie's blindness so she could make her naked escape back to her room.

"I'll help you microwave those hotdogs." He sat up on his elbows, smiling.

"Deal."

"Deal."

xXx

A half hour later, they sat side by side at the breakfast bar eating hotdogs and chips. She'd planned on making a salad, but didn't have the energy. They'd switched from beer to water.

"What time is it?"

Annie grabbed her phone. "9:30."

"Geez, this day flew by."

"Yeah."

She watched Auggie as he finished his second hotdog. He stood and grabbed his plate. "Is there a dishwasher?"

"No, we have to wash everything by hand."

"I'll wash, you dry?"

"Ok."

They made quick work out of the few dishes they'd dirtied. Afterwards, they sat in companionable silence on the couch, with a fire burning in the old, stone fireplace. Auggie had his headphones on and was working on something completely undecipherable to her. She was on her laptop checking on an email from a contact she'd made in Las Vegas. She opened the email and felt her heart race as she read it.

'_Our mutual friend is coming into town for an 'invite-only' game. Should be interesting.' –G._

Annie grabbed her burner phone and dialed George's number. "Aug, I have to make a call. I'll be right back." She quickly headed to the front door and let herself outside onto the porch.

Auggie just nodded and returned to what he was working on. Unbeknownst to Annie, he was hacking her cell phone call and downloading the audio onto his hard drive.

Annie waited while the phone rang and peeked in the window to check on Auggie. His position was unchanged, but his posture seemed more erect. She stepped further away from the cabin when she heard George's voice.

"_Hey Annie. I guess you got my message_."

"Yeah, when's the game?"

"_Three days from now_."

"Three days? That's short notice."

"_Abbas's son thinks he's a real player. Last time he hit the tables, he left $200,000 in the hole_."

"Who stakes him?"

"_His old man gives him a generous allowance. Keeps him out of his hair."_

"Can I get near him?"

"_It's invite only, but we can arrange for you to fill in for someone that might not make it. Entry fee is $25,000. Can you handle that_?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"_Alright. Call me back at this number tomorrow around 5:00. I should know more by then."_

"Thanks Georgie."

"_You betcha kid. Take care of yourself_."

Annie ended the call and walked around in circles in the front yard until she could get her emotions under control and regulate her breathing. Talking to George always made her emotional. In college she, Danny and George had been roommates in an off-campus apartment during junior and senior year. They'd formed a big brother/ little sister relationship almost immediately. When Danny died, George was just about the only person that she could stand to be around.

Annie immediately pulled the SIM card out of the phone and ground in into dust under the heel of her shoe. She walked down the road and tossed the rest of the phone in a neighbor's trashcan before heading back to Auggie.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Sometimes Danny's friends or family call me. Just to check in. Those calls are hard to deal with."

"I understand." Auggie returned to his handheld device.

"What is that thing?" She flopped down on the couch next to him.

"Nothing too different from an ipad. It's basically just the 'guts' without the touch screen. All the data is transmitted through the refreshable Braille readout strip, here." He ran his finger along a small brass plate that was connected to the black device by a thin wire.

"Can I feel it?"

"Here." He handed it to her and quickly typed something on the foldable keyboard. Annie felt bumps arise under her fingers.

"Wow. That's…. they're so small! How can you feel the difference in the letters."

"It's not easy, trust me." He laughed. He reached out and took her hand in his, gently guiding her index finger over the first word.

"It says, 'Thank you for this weekend."

"Wow," she whispered, running her finger over the bumps again and again. "How long did it take you to learn this?"

Auggie took the keypad away from her and set the device aside. "I've been learning it for almost a year, really."

"Really?"

"Well, as soon as the trouble started affecting my good eye, I couldn't read regular size print that well and computer monitors were painful, so….it was a gradual thing, I guess."

"So you knew this would happen to you?"

Auggie laughed ruefully. "I was in denial but I guess I tried to prepare for the worst. I mean, sometimes you don't really have a choice how things turn out."

Annie studied his face, wondering if his words were more for her benefit than his. He seemed relaxed, but she still didn't know him well.

"I'm gonna go to bed."

"Yeah, sounds good. Me too." Auggie rose and unfolded his cane. He carefully packed his tech into a black case and headed for the bedroom. "Goodnight Annie."

"Good night."

She stayed up for another hour or so reviewing her notes on Aamir's son, Michael. When she could no longer keep her eyes open, she headed to bed, hoping she'd be able to sleep.

Annie awoke at 3:00 am, happy she'd slept a few hours. Ever since Danny's death, she had trouble staying asleep for more than a few hours at a time. She tossed and turned for a while, but then decided to get up. She walked as quietly as she could down the hall and to the kitchen. As she passed by the bay window, she was startled by the silhouette of a man standing down by the lake's edge. She recognized Auggie's shape at once. He was in shadow set against the backdrop of a beautiful full moon. She watched him, wondering what he was doing.

Auggie had woken from a deep sleep completely disoriented. He'd been dreaming in vivid color and when he'd opened his eyes, the blackness stole his voice and clogged his throat. It had taken several moments of deep breathing to remember where he was and what had happened to him. He got out of bed and paced the large bedroom. He felt the prick of tears behind his eyes and shook his hands to keep that wave of emotion at bay. He'd tripped over his jeans that had slid off the chair and onto the floor. In haste, he dressed quickly and headed out the back door. He and Annie had walked down to the water's edge yesterday, so he knew it was a straight shot from the cabin's back door.

He didn't remember how many steps, and he'd forgotten his cane. He walked slowly so he could feel the gradual decline of the ground. Finally, he heard the water softly lapping on the pebbles. Auggie bent down and scooped up a handful of small rocks. He tossed rock after rock into the almost still water, listening to each one drop.

Annie watched him for a while. After the last stone had been thrown, he'd just stood there with his hands in his pockets. She could see his breath in the cold air. He'd forgotten to put on a jacket. She grabbed it off the peg hook by the door and went outside to join him.

She watched him turn at the sound of her approach. His profile was beautiful to her. His strong jaw and straight nose were highlighted against the moonlight.

"Annie?"

"Yeah. It's cold." She shivered inside her coat. She only wore leggings and a t-shirt under her parka. "Here." She put the coat in his hand. He took it, but only tucked it under his arm.

"Why are you up?" He asked.

"I don't really sleep that well." She mumbled as she drew circles in the sand with her boot.

"Why not?"

"I have bad dreams." She answered as she gazed out onto the glass like surface of the lake. "You?"

"Actually, I have great dreams. It's reality that's a problem."

She moved closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt his arm go around her back and rub slow circles into her muscles.

She felt so….peaceful….so connected. Standing by a lake at 3:00 am with an almost stranger, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. The emotions roared up inside her and she felt the tears slide down her cheeks. She extricated herself from Auggie and roughly wiped away the tears, too embarrassed for Auggie to find out. She looked over at him and saw him frowning at her.

"What's the matter?" He reached out and felt for her arm.

"Nothing, just…a lot of memories."

"Walker? Tell me the truth."

His brown eyes were fixed somewhere over her left shoulder, but they compelled her nonetheless. "You make me feel…."

"Feel what?" He probed gently.

"Feel."

Understanding washed over him. He turned and once again faced the water. "You know, I was in Iraq. There was a bad firefight and everyone around me died. I didn't. For a year, I didn't feel anything. Not sad. Not happy. Not grateful. Just nothing."

"What did you do?"

"I thought that was just the way it was. Maybe I didn't have the emotional capacity to deal with it…I don't know. Then one day I was on a mission for the CIA. I was in Budapest and I walked past a guy….God, to this day I would swear it was Johnny. But it wasn't. Johnny was dead. Anyway, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack."

"What happened?"

"I followed him for a few blocks—saw him meet up with his wife and kids. Go into a café. It wasn't him, obviously, but it made the feelings come back. I remembered him so vividly. I could hear his laugh. Remember his terrible jokes…all of it."

"I don't want to think about that stuff."

"Walker, it'll come back whether you want it to or not."

She bent down and started picking through pebbles. "I'm not as strong as you are. I can't keep going without…"

"Without Danny?"

"Yeah." She whispered.

"Yeah, you can."

"It hurts, Auggie. Sometimes I don't think I can bear it."

"I know." He bent down and pulled her back up by the elbow. "We're gonna get through this together, okay?"

"You're so strong. I don't know how you do it?"

She watched so many emotions flicker over his face. He again turned to the lake and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "I don't know, Walker. Living like this…..blind… Every day I think I can't do this,' but then…."

"Yeah?" She whispered, touching his arm.

"I have you."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Other projects have kept me away from this story. I'll try and keep updates a bit more regular. Thank you to all that are reading. Reviews are so kindly appreciated. I love each and every one I get. As always, I own nothing. These characters are not my own and I readily admit to repurposing some scenes from the show….**

xXx

Two days later, Auggie found himself back at the rehab facility growing frustrated during a 'field trip' with his instructor. They'd been practicing walking down the street, avoiding obstacles, and crossing intersections. Auggie had tried. He'd poured all of his energy into working through these problems and conquering them. He didn't want to wallow in self-pity anymore. He wanted to get on with living, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was doing it for Annie too. He wasn't much use to her like this. He needed to sharpen his skills and get back into the game.

Of course, all of those plans seemed to fly out the window as he stood at the curb cut, his heart pounding so loud he was sure people around him could hear it. The first time he'd crossed a street alone, he'd veered into traffic and had to be physically pulled back by his instructor. It had taken a good hour for his hands to stop shaking. Now, they were about to attempt it again.

"Alright, Auggie. Feel the alignment with the curb. Check your angle…."

The words buzzed in his ears and his palms were almost too sweaty to hold his cane. He heard the cars start to slow down and suspected the light was yellow. Then, he felt the rush of air as people began to cross the street. He took a step—then another-and another. He was anticipating his instructor's heavy hand to land on his shoulder at any moment and jerk him away from traffic, but there was nothing. Finally, his cane hit the curb on the other side. He felt the gradual rise of the cement at the curb cut and stepped up. He pulled his cane close against his body and closed his eyes. He fought off a wave of dizziness.

"Very nice."

Auggie felt his instructor's hand tap his and he automatically latched onto the man's elbow and gratefully allowed him to lead.

"Here, bench. Let's sit."

Auggie felt the seat of the bench and then sat, quickly folding up his cane.

"How ya feeling?"

"Honestly? Like I'm about to pass out."

"It's scary. It's always going to be a little scary. But you'll get more and more attuned to the sounds around you. Pretty soon, it will all come together."

Auggie didn't respond. He didn't trust himself not to say something rude. He was still in limbo; a term a blind counselor used when describing the time between his sighted days and full acceptance of his new, dark world. The memory of sight was fresh and vivid; even despite the rapid decline Auggie had suffered in the last year, he remembered things…colors…shapes…depth….the sky. Sometimes, he'd catch himself looking up, expecting to see the sun, or the moon. It always startled him. When would that stop? When would his 'normal' be darkness?

"Okay, man. Back to work."

xXx

Annie sat at the bar in the private lounge. She hadn't been able to get a seat at the high stakes poker game, but she was worked into the very exclusive guest list, thanks to George. She was sipping champagne and watching Michael Abbas lose badly at poker. She had also noticed something else—the bartender.

Security was tight in these places and it was not uncommon for employees other than security to wear earpieces, but, still….she watched him. She started comparing the gestures of the security team to the gestures of the bartender. They'd touch their ears when a message was incoming. She noticed several people do this at nearly the same moment: the two muscular gentlemen by the door; the plain-clothes guard standing just to the side of the poker table and a waiter.

But not the bartender. He didn't respond when the others did. He didn't even flinch. His eyes stayed focused and straight. However at other times, he would respond as if he heard a message, while the others did not.

Annie's only conclusion was that he was not part of the hotel's team. Her senses were heightened. Perhaps one of the players brought in their own man, but she didn't think so. Most of these people were just here to play a friendly, although expensive, game of poker. She watched him for a while and realized it was her, he was watching. Damn it.

Annie was instantly furious with whatever higher-up at The Spa deemed in necessary to tail her. She was only doing re-con, nothing more. She had even contemplated sharing her intel, although truthfully, she probably wasn't going to. How had this happened? She's been so careful about her travel plans. She came back from the lake house with Auggie and had stopped back in at The Spa just to clear her schedule. Did they put a tracker on her? She didn't think so. She'd changed transportation, so it couldn't be a GPS tracker….

Her eyes flew open wide. Auggie. Even though she didn't tell him, he was there when she spoke to George and then she had her laptop open and running. What if he was able to download something? Would he do that? No…. She wasn't so sure. How well did she know him?

She decided bailing out on the evening was in her best interest. She was pleased that her sudden departure seemed to rattle the bartender. He even tried to inquire as to where she was going.

"All done for the night, Miss?"

"Yes, I'm tired. Goodnight."

"Headed back to your room?"

Annie only raised her eyebrow and watched the man blush a deep red. "No."

She was out of the hotel in under three minutes and speeding back toward California on her motorcycle. Or more correctly—Danny's. George kept it for her in his garage. She had hated that thing, but he'd loved it. She couldn't bear to part with it. From time to time, she'd go to George's and they'd ride in the desert for hours. She understood why he'd loved it and now she did too.

xXx

She pulled her motorcycle into the first parking spot available and strode into the rehab facility. She easily slipped past the woman at the front desk and headed directly for Auggie's room. She stood in front of his door and attempted to calm herself and control her breathing. She lifted her hand and knocked on the door.

"Yeah." His voice sounded different. Far away, and fragile. The heat of her anger melted away instantly. She turned the knob and pushed open the door.

"Auggie?"

"Annie." He whispered.

She was at his side in a second. He was lying flat on the bed, without even a pillow. He had one hand against the wall and the other hand over his eyes.

"What's the matter?" She touched his arm.

"Vertigo."

"Vertigo?"

"Yeah, it's common, apparently."

"What can they do for you?"

"There are some drugs. We're trying them. Hopefully my brain will adjust."

"Adjust to what?"

"It's still trying to compensate for the total lack of visual input. I keep seeing things…lights flashing…shadows…"

"But, does that mean…"

"No, don't get your hopes up."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not coming from my eyes. It's coming from my brain."

"What can I do?" She lowered her head and rested her chin on his shoulder. She felt his arm move and his hand touch her hair.

"Just stay..."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Annie could feel the moment he fell asleep. The weight of his hand on her head increased. She slowly moved it back to the bed and backed up until she felt the chair behind her. She watched him sleep. About an hour later, a woman in scrubs entered the room.

"Mr. Anderson really shouldn't have visitors right now, Miss."

"I'm not leaving."

Annie and the woman stared at each other for a moment.

"Alright. Just try not to disturb him."

"Will this…go away?"

"In most cases."

"Not in all?"

"No, but usually those cases involve brain trauma that caused the blindness. This is most likely temporary."

"How long…."

"It's hard to say. The brain has to adapt. Make new neural pathways to replace what's gone."

"Okay."

"He'll be asleep for a while. He's been given a sedative."

"Thanks."

xXx

Annie woke up to sunlight streaming through the wooden blinds on the window. She stretched out her stiff back and neck and watched Auggie wake up.

"Hey sleeping beauty."

His eyelids fluttered open and darted to where she was sitting. "Annie."

"How are you?"

"Okay." He slowly rose up on his elbows. "Head's pounding."

"How's the dizziness?"

He moved his head slightly from side to side. "A little better, maybe."

Auggie started to throw the covers back and get up. She watched his face as dizziness clearly overtook him. He grabbed onto the side of the bed and closed his eyes. A sheen of perspiration coated his face.

"Still bad, huh?"

"Yeah." he whispered. "Can you push the call button. I think I need help."

Annie pushed the button right away. "Can I help you?"

"No." He just sat there, clinging to the side of the bed with his eyes closed. A moment later, there was a quick knock and the door opened.

"What's the matter, Auggie?" The nurse touched his forehead with her hand and then checked his pulse.

"I need to get to the bathroom." He said in a low voice, his head dropping down. Annie realized how vulnerable he was. She got up.

"I'm gonna go take care of a few things. I'll stop back later, Aug."

She watched as he simply nodded once, eyes squeezed tightly shut. She headed for the door. As she stepped over the threshold she turned back to see Auggie being led across the small room.

xXx

Annie didn't return later that day, or the next. Auggie was sure his little 'episode' had scared her away. Hell, it had scared him. If he could've run from it, he would've. He was working with his new instructor, Kurt. This time, they paired him up with a blind instructor that had lost his sight traumatically in an explosion ten years ago. They'd been walking the halls repeatedly. At first, Auggie needed to maintain contact with the railings at all times, or else he felt like he was tilting and falling. Today, he was supposed to only use his cane.

"Again."

Auggie was stopped in the main hallway. He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. No matter how he concentrated, he couldn't keep the room from spinning.

"Open your eyes."

"What does it matter?" Auggie stepped over to the wall until his hand came in contact with the smooth surface. Immediately, he felt his equilibrium return.

"It matters to your brain. Closing your eyes initiates a brain response of darkness."

"It's dark whether or not my eyes are open."

"I read your file. You seem intelligent on paper."

"Um, thanks?"

"I'm sure you know what I'm getting at."

"I've read it too. I know what the medical explanations are. I just don't buy it."

"You ever hear of 'mind over matter'?"

Auggie laughed. "You think it's really that simple?"

"Sometimes."

"And what? I can get my brain to knock off the dizziness shit?"

"Yes."

"How?" Auggie could hear the desperation and fatigue in his own voice.

"You need to do exactly what I tell you. I thought you Army boys were good at following directions."

Kurt didn't' wait for an answer. Auggie heard him walking ahead, cane tapping a steady, strong rhythm. He centered himself in the hallway and let his hand fall away from the security of the wall. He positioned his cane and began walking.

"Eyes open, Anderson!"

Auggie groaned but followed the orders.

"Visualize the hallway. Focus."

Auggie did as he was told. He felt the room tilt and start to slide away, but then he pushed through and forced his brain to 'see' the hallway. He needed to keep focused on his positioning in the room. He heard Kurt's tapping cease. He took a few more steps and then felt his cane come in contact with a foot.

"Well?"

Auggie took a deep breath. "It started to happen-the spinning-but I got it to stop."

"Good. Let's go again."

xXx

Later than night Auggie was exhausted. He wanted desperately to lie down but he needed to check in with Joan. He picked up his cell and quickly punched in her number.

"Auggie." She answered simply.

"Hi Joan."

"Any updates?"

"I've been a little off my game lately-well, more off my game than before."

"I know. I've been kept in the loop by the physician overseeing your case."

"Oh."

"How are you, Auggie?"

"I'll be okay, Joan. It's a setback. I didn't really think there was anything worse than being blind, but I guess there is…being blind and dizzy." He felt instantly embarrassed at confessing so much to his boss.

"You'll work through it."

"Yeah."

"Any news on the 'project'?"

Auggie cleared his throat. 'Project' was the code word for his mission shadowing Annie.

"Nothing since the last report. Contact has been minimal."

"Keep me posted."

Auggie heard the click of her phone. He put away his phone and grabbed his iPod. He was just about to put in his earbuds when he heard a faint tapping at the window-Annie.

He got up and made his way over to the window, careful to maintain contact with the wall.

"Annie?"

"Yeah." She said a bit breathlessly as she climbed into his room.

"Why don't you use the door?"

She looked him over. He had definitely lost weight and the dark circles under his eyes were back. "I like the window."

He laughed as he headed back to his bed and sat down. "What are you doing here?"

She sat down next to him. "Do I need a reason?"

He smiled. "No."

She covered his hand with her own. She watched his forehead crease as he pulled his hand away from her. "Annie, I need to talk to you about something and you're not gonna like it."

"Maybe you shouldn't tell me then." She felt her heart pounding.

"I think I should. I betrayed your trust."

She was right. He'd been the leak. "Why?"

Auggie was perplexed. He had envisioned having this conversation with her many times. He wanted to tell her so many things…he was sorry…he was worried about her….he did it for her own safety….none of those seemed enough anymore.

"Why?" he repeated.

"Yeah, why did you betray my trust, Auggie?" She was kneeling in front of him now with her hands on his knees. She stared into those dark brown eyes and watched so many emotions flicker through them.

"I don't know, Annie. I really don't know. I think there were a lot of reasons…some selfless, but mostly selfish."

He bowed his head. Despite the anger she felt, she was overcome with compassion for this man…this virtual stranger that she had grown so close to. His pain was palpable. She could feel it radiating off of him. She knew that kind of pain, and she realized suddenly that her pain had lessoned ever since she'd met him.

She took his head in her hands and touched their foreheads together and whispered, it's okay. We're okay."


	7. Chapter 7

It was a week later when Annie took Auggie to the park. It seemed so ordinary of a thing to do and she almost had to laugh at herself. They looked like a normal couple, but they were anything but. On her arm was a CIA operative trained in deadly force. She herself was no ordinary woman. Although not officially sanctioned by the CIA, she was highly trained.

They walked together through the park until Annie decided on a spot for their picnic.

"Here's a good spot." Annie stopped and Auggie put down the heavy basket that Annie had prepared. He waited for her to unfold the blanket.

"Okay, sit."

He lowered himself to the ground and slid backward until his back was against a big Maple tree. He tried to relax and shake off the nerves that were coursing through him. He and Annie had several short conversations in the past week about her 'mission' but nothing of consequence. When she invited him out today, he was sure she wanted to have a more in depth discussion.

"So."

"So?"

"Are we gonna talk?"

Annie slid back until she was sitting next to him. She put her head on his shoulder. "I think I should leave The Spa."

"Why?"

"I don't need their help."

"You can't do it alone, you know."

"Why not?"

Auggie was silent for a while. There was so much he wanted to say to her. Everything he could think of seemed to be wrong. Finally he decided to change the subject.

"I'm leaving too."

"What?"

"I need to get back to DC."

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I'll still rehab in DC, but it's time to get back to my life."

"Are you scared?"

"Scared?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know if I'd use 'scared.' It's more, I don't know."

She watched as he turned away from her and picked idly at the grass. She searched for words, but in the end decided to stay quiet.

"Where will you go when this is all over?" He asked, still not facing her. Again, she remained silent. This time, she couldn't answer. She had never planned for 'after.'

"Here." He said. She looked down at his hand. He was holding a business card with a long phone number on it.

"What's this?"

"It's my number. Nobody has this…only you. If you need me, call the number."

She swallowed hard and took the card. "Auggie?"

"Yeah?"

"If I make it…if…well…I'll come find you."

He nodded but said nothing. Words seemed impossible for them both. Instead, they ate their sandwiches and enjoyed a warm September day. Finally when the sun was lowering, they packed everything up. Annie handed Auggie the picnic basket and led him silently back to the car. They drove back to the rehab facility and Annie let him out by the front door.

Auggie exited the car and then turned back. "Annie?"

He was distracted by his own thoughts and emotions and hadn't heard the sounds of her car door opening. He was surprised and overwhelmed when he felt her slender arms pull him into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry Auggie."

"There's another way. You don't have to do this. You're not an assassin. Let the CIA gather enough evidence to put him away."

He waited for her to speak. He could feel her chest heaving up and down, but she was silent. "Annie?"

"I can't. I'm sorry." She whispered as she pulled away from him. He reached out and with amazing accuracy grabbed her by the wrist.

"No, you cannot do this. Stay. Stay with me. Please."

She stared at him. His strong jaw was firmly set and his dark brown eyes seemed to bore holes directly into her skull. What if he was right? What if there was another way to make Aamir Abbas pay for what he did to Danny?

No, she was just being weak. Letting her desire to be with Auggie cloud her judgment. This path had been set from the moment she learned who was behind the car bombing that took Danny's life.

"Auggie, I have to. There has to be justice. He has to pay."

"If you lose your life, then he wins twice. Don't you think the better justice would be for you to live AND for Abbas to be brought to justice?"

He was confusing her. She watched the pleading in his eyes and wanted so badly to give in to him.

"I need to think, Auggie. Just think for a few days."

"Annie…"

"I promise. Just, let me go."

Auggie released her hand. "Where are you going?"

"If I tell you, will you promise to keep it to yourself?"

That stung, but he supposed he deserved it. "Yes."

"To see Danny." She whispered. For a moment he wasn't sure of what she'd said, but then clarity dawned on him. She was going to the cemetery where he was buried.

"Then check in with me."

"No promises Auggie. Not yet."

"Okay, Walker."

"Take care of yourself."

"I'll be fine."

She watched him straighten up to his full height. He was so impressive—still with his soldier's physique. He commanded attention and respect. She believed in him and felt such a heavy sense of guilt that she was leaving him when he needed her.

"I….I want to tell you…."

"Save it, Walker. Tell me when you get back." Then, before she realized what he was doing, he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. She felt dizzy and lost in his touch. One of his hands slid up the back of her neck and into her hair. The other one tightened around her back. Then, just as suddenly, he pulled away and backed up.

She stood on the sidewalk and watched him turn and walk back into the building with his cane tapping a steady beat ahead of him.

xXx

The next day, Annie stood in a rainy Seattle cemetery. She walked down a meandering path until she came to the familiar row.

_Daniel Rowan Walker_

_1985-2012_

It stole her breath every time she saw it. She bent down and brushed her hand across the wet stone. Sometimes it seemed absolutely impossible that her sweet Danny was buried in the ground right beneath her feet. How had this happened? How had all their innocent plans unraveled so spectacularly?

So many times, she'd been driven here by anger, but this time was different. It was a deep sadness that filled her now—sadness that Danny's life was over. Sadness that they'd barely begun their life together. So unjust. So unfair.

Her thoughts turned to Auggie. He was waging his own private war against an unfair life. She thought of him and his amazing courage. He faced this almost impossible challenge and seemed to somehow be winning. She smiled thinking about his determination. He was brave and strong where she was weak and fragile. She was taking the easy way out. He'd known it all along. She suddenly felt like a fool.

She hastily wiped away the tears that had spilled down her cheeks. It was then that she felt it-the feeling of being watched. Damn it! She should have known they'd be watching the cemetery. She was angry that the CIA had once again tracked her like a damn dog with a chip. She turned slowly and surveyed the landscape. She had expected to see the obvious black suits, but instead what she saw chilled her to the bone.

She shoved her hand into her trench coat pocket for her gun, but never even got a grip on it before she felt a heavy object collide with her head. She dropped to the ground but remained conscious, barely. Shoes. She could see shoes. John Lobb shoes. She didn't know of a G-man that could afford twelve hundred dollar shoes. Her brain felt like it was working in slow motion, but she knew she needed to get away. She had crawled a few feet through the wet grass when she felt a second blow crash against her skull. Then she felt nothing.

xXx

Auggie was slowly but meticulously packing the belongings he'd brought to the rehab facility. He was anxious to get back to DC, although still terrified about resuming his life there. He thought about his friends, his old co-workers. How would it be now? Would they treat him differently? He imagined how he'd act if this had happened to someone else. Yeah, he'd treat them differently at first. He was beginning to break down some of his electronic equipment when his cell phone buzzed with Joan's ringtone.

"Hi Joan."

"The signal's gone down, Auggie. She's off the grid."

"What was her last known location?" Auggie was quickly re-opening his laptop and plugging in his specialized refreshable braille display.

"Lake View Cemetery, Seattle Washington. Auggie, is it possible she detected the trace you put on her?"

"I don't think so, Joan. It was embedded in the card I gave her. If she tossed the card, the signal would still be active."

"So what does this mean?"

"It means the card with the tracer was destroyed."

"Okay, I'm running point here out of Washington. I'm getting eyes and ears up on all of the target's top men. I'm pulling you back in asap. Get to the airport."

"Joan, if she was taken by the target, how long do you think..."

"I don't know. There are a lot of factors at play. We'll be working the problem while you're in flight. I expect you'll do the same. There's a private jet waiting for you at the airport. I'll contact you when you're wheels up. Let's get her back, Auggie."

"I will."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm trying to get this story finished-I swear! This chapter was a tough one for me. I actually did 3 versions-I hope you like this one. I'm trying to get back to the good 'ole romantic shipper stuff, but we have to get through Annie's crisis first….then onto the goods!**

**As always, I thank you truly, for your sweet reviews. I appreciate each and every one of them. I love feedback and love to hear suggestions for where you want me to go with this story. On with the show…**

_She had crawled a few feet through the wet grass when she felt a second blow crash against her skull. Then she felt nothing._

The pain in her head finally brought her fully conscious. When she opened her eyes, she immediately remembered what happened. Now, she was in the back of a van, travelling fast, she realized. She assessed the situation. She would've laughed, if she were in a laughing mood, that the training she'd received at The Spa was actually paying off.

She realized only her hands were bound, not her feet. And another stroke of luck, they were bound in front of her, not behind her. Clearly her capture wasn't a professional. Perhaps they'd assumed she'd stay unconscious for the duration of the ride. Well, she wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything in the back of the van that she could use as a weapon or to free her hands. She decided her best defense was the element of surprise. If she could get lucky, maybe she could escape when they opened the door.

xXx

"Agent Anderson, we've got the van."

Auggie swung around in his chair and pulled his headphones off his ears.

"Get me the coordinates ASAP and get it up on the big screen." Auggie swiveled back to the bank of computers in front of him and began inputting the new information.

While he was in route to Langley, Joan's team had been able to access satellite and traffic cam data. They'd gotten visual contact of Annie before she entered the cemetery and then a gray van leaving the cemetery approximately 15 minutes after Annie entered. There was a high probability Annie was inside the van.

Another team was in charge of chasing down the van. So far, no one could identify the license plates. They were obscured with mud and the cameras couldn't capture the full plate. Auggie turned to Eric Barber, the tech assigned to work with him.

"Hey, Barber?"

"Yeah boss?"

"Annie was grabbed fast once she was inside the cemetery."

"Yeah, it looks that way."

"That cemetery is big, but the snatch and grab only took a few minutes. They must've known where she would be."

"What are you thinking?"

"Someone did recon earlier. Can you access the cemetery database and see if you can search grave location by name? Or if not, someone needed to physically go to the cemetery and scout out the location. They knew where she was going."

"What if they just followed her?"

"I have a feeling about this Barber."

"Okay, I'll run it down."

xXx

She could feel the van turning. Then brakes. She slid to the back of the van and the squatted, bracing her hands against the handle next to the door. Finally, she felt the van stop. She heard the side door slam. Damn. She'd hoped there was only one kidnapper. Well, maybe the driver was staying put in his seat.

She heard quick footsteps and then the door flew open. She saw an arm holding a gun. Before she could think, she grabbed his arm and slammed against the edge of the door. The man screamed in pain. Annie then brought both her hands up and under his chin with all the strength she could manage. As the man flew backwards, she heard the sound of the driver's door open. She quickly grabbed the gun and jumped out of the van. She flattened herself against the back of the van and waited. Just as the man turned the corner, she fired two shots into him. He flew backwards and landed hard. She saw his shoes—they were the same ones she remembered seeing in the cemetery. Her eyes travelled up to the man's face. She gasped as she recognized the face. It was Abbas's son, Michael. She turned quickly back to the first man. He was out cold. Annie searched his pockets and found a boxcutter and freed her hands. Then she ran.

xXx

"What's going on?" Auggie barked as he stood in front of the monitors.

"We had satellite on the van, but it's disappeared. " A voice from his left spoke.

"What do you mean, disappeared?"

"It's in an area where's there's no signal."

"What about the local P.D.?"

"They're searching, Auggie." Joan spoke.

"Sir?" An agent spoke from behind him.

"Yeah."

"We've just intercepted a 911 call in the local jurisdiction of Seattle 30 minutes ago. The gray van's been found. Along with two men down. One dead from apparent GSW to the chest. The other, unconscious, in route to the hospital."

"What about Annie?"

"No sign of her."

Auggie turned away from the flatscreens and made his way back to his office. He sat down at his desk and rubbed his face, tiredly.

"She'll come in, Auggie."

"I don't know Joan. It's been at least 30 minutes. If she hasn't called me yet, I don't think she will."

"She's alive. She handled herself."

"Excuse me, Agent Campbell?"

"Go ahead."

"The dead man from Washington has been positively I. as Michael Abbas."

"Alright, this just about a thousand times worse for Annie. There's going to be a bounty on her head. Auggie, is there any way you can reach her?"

"No, her cell phone's been disabled. The GPS tracker is gone."

"Okay, now she needs to lay low. The last thing we need is for her to get picked up by the Seattle PD. Does she have any resources? A safe house?"

"There's a contact I can try. He's in Vegas."

"Okay, get on it."

xXx

Annie was safely inside a hotel room on the other side of town. She'd paid cash and tried to act as normal as possible. She had no luggage and her jacket was muddy and torn. She thought the clerk was looking at her strangely and when she got into her room and saw her reflection, she knew why. She had a huge bump on her forehead that was starting to turn a lovely shade of purple. Her hair had mud caked in it that ran down her neck and into the collar of her shirt.

She fought back the tears and desperately tried to come up with a plan. She needed clothes, toiletries, …an escape plan. She felt like a failure. All this time, she had only been playing 'pretend.' She wasn't a real agent. Who was she kidding? She was in trouble. She stared at the phone. It was dangerous to make a call. There were all sorts of ways the call could be traced, intercepted, hacked. God, she was tired.

She picked up the phone and dialed the ten digit number she'd committed to memory.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end asked, astonished.

"Auggie." She whispered, voice breaking.

"Jesus, where the hell have you been? Are you okay?"

"No, I….I'm in trouble….I need…"

"We have someone in your area to pick you up. Give me your location and they'll be right there."

"I'm a mess, Auggie. I don't think I should be wandering around outside."

His heart squeezed. God, what the hell had happened to her. "Understood. I'll find a nice inconspicuous spot for you."

"Okay. I'm at the Marriot on Madison Street."

Auggie fingers flew over the keyboard. That was a downtown hotel in a very busy and populated area. "Okay, take the back stairs. Head to the service area and exit through the loading dock. Someone will meet you and I'll see you soon."

Annie was about to speak when she heard the line go dead. She went into the bathroom and tried to arrange her hair to cover the bruise on her forehead. At least she successfully washed most of the mud off her face. She pulled her coat closed and headed for the stairs.

She walked as fast as she could through the service area and out the back door. She walked half way around the hotel looking for the loading dock.

"Ms. Walker?"

Annie nodded.

"I'm your ride."

"Okay."

"C'mon, let's go. I'm not the only one looking for you."

"What?"

"Mr. Abbas is looking for you, and he's got eyes and ears inside the local PD. You don't have much time."

Annie swallowed hard and followed the young agent into an underground parking garage. He walked up to a silver Ford Focus and climbed in. Annie entered the car and felt herself relax a tiny bit.

"Oh, here." The agent thrust a cell phone in her direction.

Annie held the phone for a second before it began to ring. "Hello?"

"Hey Walker."

"Auggie."

"The one and only. How ya doin?"

"Better now."

"Good."

"I wish you were here."

Auggie made a fist and squeezed. He'd wished that too. "Yeah, me too."

"Where am I going?"

"Safehouse for now. You're too hot. We need to have you lay low for a while."

"When can I come to DC?"

Auggie's heart fluttered. "Soon."

"Okay."

"Hey Aug?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you doing?"

Auggie laughed. "Better now that I know you're safe."

"No, that's not what I mean."

Several beats of silence passed between them. He was amazed that she could think of him and his situation at a time like this.

"I'm dealing."

"I'm coming."

"I'll be here." He said.

"Yeah, you better be."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: As always, thank you for your kind reviews. I love each and every one. Please forgive me for typos and errors…I try and proof several times, I swear! Should I stop here? Keep going? Let me know what you think!**

xXx

It was almost three weeks before Annie made it to DC. It was a week in the safe house, followed by an incredibly detailed de-brief. The Abbas matter was officially being transferred to the CIA as an open case.

She and Auggie had talked briefly a few times but the conversations were strained. She had wondered and worried that she hadn't meant as much to him as he had to her. She missed him and as the day drew near to seeing him again, she got nervous.

On the opposite coast, Auggie was straightening his tie and checking that he buttoned his shirt correctly for the tenth time that morning. Annie was on her way, at this very moment. She was probably somewhere over Illinois by now. He headed to the kitchen for coffee, but tripped over something on the floor. When would that stop happening? He tried to be as neat and orderly as possible, but there always seemed to be an errant sock or shoe on the floor. His instructor that helped him set up his home told him that soon, it would all be second nature. He simultaneously hated and welcomed that thought.

Auggie reached for the floor and moved the shoe back to the closet and then headed for the kitchen. He wanted Annie to see him as capable, strong, and dependable. Even if he couldn't be a field agent anymore, he was still employed by the CIA. Of course, all that pride seemed to get knocked out of him daily by a misplaced shoe, missing keys, a lost wallet, etc. Auggie laughed at himself and shook his head. Today was no day for pity.

Hours later, Annie sat at a conference table in the Domestic Protection Division. The table seemed massive and slowly various people trickled in and took a seat. Each person gave her a knowing glance. She had a feeling that they all knew her. Finally, Joan Campbell, the woman Annie had learned a great deal about in the last weeks, walked in and the air quieted immediately.

"Alright, let's get to it. As you all know, Aamir Abbas is likely planning an attack on US soil in retaliation for the killing of his son Michael."

Annie swallowed hard and lowered her head.

"Annie Walker has been able to amass a large amount of intel about Abbas. We've been combing the information she's given us. We think we may have found something."

A man to Joan's side began passing out folders to each person. Annie opened her folder. There it was…in black and white…her life. She saw her picture, Danny's picture. Details, everything… she closed the folder and looked up.

"Alright, read up everyone and let's brainstorm ideas. Meet back here in 3 hours."

Everyone murmured and shuffled out of the conference room. Annie slowly moved her chair back from the table and stood.

"I know that was hard for you. You held up."

Annie looked into Joan's eyes. "I can do this."

"I know you can, but now you don't have to do it alone."

"I know."

"He was supposed to be here for the meeting, but he got delayed. He's coming."

Annie tried to conceal her smile. "Okay."

"For now, we've assigned you a desk. You'll be working your own case from here. No more field work. You're too well known to Abbas's team."

"I know."

"Good. Get to work."

Annie gathered her papers as Joan's heels marked her retreat. Annie turned to leave when something made her look to her left. Through the glass walls she saw him. For a second, she couldn't believe that was Auggie. She had only ever seen him in t-shirts and jeans. Now, he was dressed in a fitted button down shirt, tie and vest with black pants. He moved gracefully down the long hallway with his cane swinging methodically from side to side. He stopped to answer someone's question. Then, it happened.

He looked in her direction and she could tell by the look on his face that he knew she was there. He moved with confidence and speed until he stood in the doorway of the conference room.

"Annie?"

She had so much she wanted to say to him, but the words lodged in her throat, choked by emotion. The folder she'd been carrying slid to the table and she walked directly to him, as if pulled by a magnet. As she neared, he opened her arms. She slid into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his back. His arms automatically went around her back and his head down into the crook of her neck.

"I missed you." His voice was rough with emotion.

She didn't speak, only nodded. He seemed to understand that she was incapable of speech at the moment. She felt his hand move to the back of her head and stroke her long hair.

Finally, she felt him pull back. He kept his hands on her shoulders, but moved her backwards until there was a foot between them.

"I'm glad you're here, Walker."

"You look different."

She watched his brow furrow. "How?"

"You seem so 'in charge.'"

Auggie barked laughter. "I'm not, believe me. Where are you staying?"

"Um, nowhere yet. I just got off the plane a few hours ago. "

"Stay with me."

"No, I don't want to impose."

"I love you. Stay with me."

Annie swallowed any other response she could've come up with. The look in his brown eyes was so honest and open. She knew she could not deny him, and truthfully, she didn't want to.

"Okay."

She watched as a smile spread across his face. She itched to reach out and pull him toward her.

"I'll find you as soon as I'm done. Shouldn't be long." He touched the side of her face and lingered for a moment, and then he quickly turned and walked back down the long hallway. She watched him go. His stride was longer and stronger than she remembered. His confidence had grown and he seemed self-assured here. It made her smile. This was the real August Anderson, and she was more than excited to get to know him.

"Annie." A sharp voice barked.

"Yes Joan?"

"Agent Daniels is waiting for you."

"Yes, I'm on it."

xXx

Annie spent the next several hours with Tara Daniels combing through the details of her life. No one seemed to remember that this was personal and painful. Her life was now an open book. As the timeline approached Danny's death, Annie finally became irritated.

"When were you informed that Daniel Walker was deceased?"

"Daniel Walker? You mean my husband?" She snapped tiredly.

"Yes. I mean your husband. When were you informed?"

"I wasn't informed. I was witness to it."

"In the police report, you are not listed as a witness."

"I can promise you, I was there."

"Did you speak with the police? Were you interviewed by a detective?"

As Annie felt her blood pressure begin to rise, a knock sounded and the door opened.

"Time to punch out, Walker." Auggie stood in the doorway with his messenger bag slung over one shoulder.

"Very well. We'll resume in the morning."

Annie rose and swiftly exited the office, commenting "we'll see about that," as she passed Auggie.

He pulled her by the elbow and slowed her pace. He gently wrapped her hand around his elbow and covered her hand with his own. He led them slowly, but steadily down the long corridor and out of the CIA building. He stopped on the front steps and inhaled deeply.

"Sometimes it's good to get the hell outta there."

Annie took several deep breaths and felt the tension begin to leech out of her muscles.

"How are we getting home?"

"Car service."

"Oh."

Auggie grabbed her hand again and laced her fingers with his own. A few moments later, he heard the telltale double honk of his driver, Jim.

"Here's my ride."

Annie opened the door and slid across the seat to make room for Auggie. After he entered the car, she placed her head on his shoulder and fell sound asleep within seconds.

"She's out cold, sir." Jim said.

"Yeah, I could tell by her breathing."

Auggie and Jim continued to talk amiably during the brief ride to Auggie's loft apartment. Finally, as the car came to a stop, he woke her.

"We're here Annie."

He felt her come alert instantly. He could feel her pulse beating rapidly. "Shhh, it's okay. You're in DC with me."

"Sorry." She whispered as she extricated herself from the car. "It's been a long time since I've slept in my own bed."

Auggie didn't comment. He knew what she meant. He let his cane unfold and then slowly led her to the front door of his apartment building.

"I'm excited to see where you live." She said softly as they climbed three flights of stairs together.

"It's not much," he said as he slid open the door. He stood in the doorway and let Annie enter ahead of him.

She walked forward and into an open entryway. She turned and saw a compact kitchen, all in dark, yet modern tones. Lots of wood, a bit of metal and a few hints of playfulness scattered throughout in the forms of graphic prints and interesting sculptures. She smiled. This place was pure Auggie.

"If I didn't already know this was your place, I would've guessed. Its' so 'you'."

She watched him smile as he carefully stowed his messenger bag and cane. "Thanks, but I can't take all the credit. My sister-in-law did most of it."

"Well, she has good taste." Annie followed him into the sitting area, feeling suddenly nervous. She watched him loosen the knot in his tie and sit down. She sat across from him.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"A little."

"Do you want to go out? There's a good Italian place on the corner."

"Do they deliver?" She asked as she kicked off the heels she'd been wearing for more hours than she could remember.

A devilish smile spread across his face. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"Oh? Only one?"

He laughed as he made his way to the kitchen. He came back with a handful of menus. "One of these is for Luigi's. I have no idea which." He thrust the menus at her. She took them and a realization dawned on her. He used to live here before he was blind.

"Why did you keep these menus?" She asked as she leafed through them.

"I forgot they were in the drawer. I haven't been here very much since….well…you know…"

"Didn't you come back here after you left The Spa?"

"Yeah, but I had an aide from the local VA rehab here helping me set everything up. And I've been at Langley every spare minute since you were taken. To tell you the truth, this is kinda the first time I've been home with no agenda…"

"Well, what should we order?"

"Um, whatever you want is fine." He answered.

She watched him reach for the arm chair behind him and then sit. His brown eyes seemed focused somewhere to her left. His hand was tapping against the upholstered arm of the chair. She could hear a clock in the kitchen ticking away the seconds. She realized she wasn't that hungry anymore. She slowly rose from the couch and walked toward Auggie until she stood in front of him. She saw realization flicker across his face. He sat up slowly and reached out until his hands were on her waist. He leaned forward and put his head against her stomach and pulled her close. She could feel him inhale deeply. Then he tilted his head up to her.

"I've missed you, Walker."

She pulled one of his hands off her waist and up. He followed her cue and stood. He was so close to her that she could smell his aftershave. She ran her hands up his arms and to his strong shoulders. It seemed like a dream that he was real and standing in front of her.

"I was coming back."

His hands froze. "What?"

"In Seattle. As I stood there, at Danny's grave, I realized how stupid I was. You were right. Everything you said to me that day by the car…the day I left. You were right." She whispered.

"I just wish we could've known you were being followed before Seattle."

"Yeah, there's that." She chuckled weakly, still remembering the feel of the gun in her hand as it fired.

"I'm glad you're here."

"I was on my way. I stood at that grave and knew that I should be with you."

She watched him smile. "It was lonely without you."

"I'm here now." She said slowly as she laced her fingers through his dark hair. The soft texture always surprised her. For a man whose body was hard as stone, his hair felt like silk threading through her fingers.

She watched heat ignite in his eyes. "We're not ordering take-out, are we?" His deep voice rumbled with desire.

"Maybe later. I have a feeling we'll be hungry later." She leaned in and touched her lips to his. At first the contact was soft, and gentle. Then it deepened as he pulled her body against his.

She grabbed him by his tie and gently pulled him toward the bedroom. He put a hand on her shoulder to help guide him. As she approached the bed, she began pulling off her jacket.

"Wait." He said. "I want to do that."

She smiled as he ran his hands up to the top of her blouse and slowly began unbuttoning it. Soon it fell to the floor. He reached for the waistband of her skirt and pulled down the zipper. It slid soundlessly to the floor. Annie stood in front of him in only her bra and slip. Auggie held her hand and turned her arm until the delicate skin of her wrist was exposed. She felt his lips and breath against her skin and could not contain the moan that escaped her throat.

"My turn." She ran her hands up to his collar and removed his tie. Then she slowly unbuttoned his vest and shirt and slid them down his strong arms. Her hands seemed to move of their own volition as they caressed the rippled muscles of his abdomen. She let her hands rest on his belt buckle and then swiftly undid it and pulled the belt through the loops.

"I don't think I can stand up much longer." She purred into his ear. She leaned back and watched a grin spread on his face.

"Come here." He pulled her arm toward the bed. In one swift move, she lay down and pulled him down on top of her. He suspended his weight above her on his elbows. His hands gently stroked her hair away from her face.

"I remember your hair." He said wistfully. "It looked like gold. The first time I saw you. You were sitting at the counter in the cafeteria. I couldn't really see your face, but I saw your hair and I thought of gold."

Annie couldn't speak. Sometimes the magnitude of his loss undid her. She didn't want to offer platitudes, but she didn't want to ignore what he'd revealed.

"I had a similar thought about you."

He smiled, "Oh yeah?"

"Your eyes. I looked into your eyes and I remember thinking that I'd never seen that color brown before. They're like dark chocolate."

"Chocolate, huh?"

"Yeah." she whispered as she leaned in for a kiss.

"I'm just glad I got to see you." His voice vibrated into the side of her neck as he kissed his way down to her collarbone. She felt hot tears building behind her eyes, but she forced them back. Now was not the time. He was baring himself to her, and she didn't want to spoil the moment.

"Me too." She let her hands wander down to the pants he still wore. She started to push them down his slim hips. He smiled at her and then rolled over and quickly removed them.

"Better?" his deep voice rumbled.

"Definitely."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you, everyone. This has been a fun story to write. I wanted to get to the epilogue right away. Reviewers—you are so wonderful—thank you so very much. You inspire me to write. Cheers!**

**Epilogue**

_Domestic Protection Division, CIA, One Year Later:_

"I'm ready." Annie said from his office doorway.

Auggie looked up sharply from his desk. He knew immediately what she was referring to.

"Okay. When?"

"This weekend?"

"Good."

Annie turned and walked back to her desk. She realized she was holding her breath and slowly began to exhale. It was time, she knew. Time to close up the apartment she and Danny had shared together.

Auggie never pushed, and for that she was grateful, but still, it had to cause him some discomfort. She and Auggie had been together for a little over a year, and they were now beginning to flirt with the idea of marriage. Annie sat him down a few weeks ago and told him that she was still paying rent on the old studio apartment she and Danny had shared before he died.

"What do you want to do about it?" He'd asked gently.

"I want to empty it out and let it go."

"Okay."

"I'm scared. I'm scared to walk back in there…see his things…his clothes...It's been a while since I've been there…. What if…what if it all comes back?"

"The pain?"

"Yeah." she whispered.

"It will, but it won't be as bad."

"Will you come with me?"

"Of course." He kissed her and held her as they made their way to bed. She slept soundly, but Auggie found sleep illusive that night. He worried that perhaps Annie wasn't ready to take the next step in their relationship.

He'd gently probed a few times since that night to see when she wanted to pack up the apartment, but she always seemed to find an excuse not to do it. Finally, he stopped asking. It bothered him. Not because he was jealous of a ghost, but because he thought it was unhealthy for her. He'd hoped she'd come around on her own, but wondered how long he should wait.

xXx

"Okay, that's it for the clothes." Annie closed up the third big cardboard box containing Danny's clothes. Auggie moved slowly toward the sound of her voice with his hands extended in front of him. The toe of his running shoe hit the box. He reached down and hefted it up onto his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. He walked toward the front door, with his free hand running along the wall.

A few hours later, they had packed up the remainder of the items. Most things were heading to Goodwill. Some to the dump and a small box was coming home with Annie. She sat down on the floor with the box in her lap. She touched the lid, knowing that looking inside would cause her pain.

"Annie?" Auggie called from the doorway. He'd been making yet another trip to the garbage shoot.

"On the floor."

Auggie moved slowly inside the now empty apartment. He stopped when he was a few feet from her. She reached out and tugged on his denim-clad leg. He lowered himself down beside her.

"Whatcha doin?"

"It's the last box."

"Oh."

"I don't want to open it."

"What's in it?"

"Pictures, mostly. A few letters…notes…"

"You don't have to open it, you know."

"It feels like I'm cheating on him."

"With me?"

"Yeah, sometimes."

"I think he'd want you to be happy, Annie. I know that's what I'd want."

"Yeah. I know. I'd want that too, if it were me who died." She ran her fingers along the edges of the box.

"I wish you two could've met. I know that sounds weird, but I wish you'd known him."

Auggie hated to hear the sadness in her voice. "Well, let me meet him now."

"What?"

"Open the box and get out a picture. I want to see him."

"You're crazy!"

"What? You think 'cause I'm blind, I can't look at a picture?" He asked with humor laced through his voice.

Annie shook her head. She'd learned long ago not to question Auggie when it came to his abilities. He was more than capable of handling himself, and if he needed help, he'd ask.

She opened the box and quickly took out of picture and then shut the lid. It was a picture of Danny at their college graduation. She put it in Auggie's open palm.

"So, what does he look like?"

"Um, he's young in that picture. 23, I think. He's got sandy-brown hair, green eyes…he's a little tan. We went to the beach for senior week…um, he's wearing his black cap and gown for graduation. He's smiling. I was taking his picture…" she trailed off.

"He was smiling at you?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah." She remembered that day. They'd been so happy—and so young and so naïve.

"I'm glad you're ready to close this place up."

"It's time, I know it is. It just feels like I'm gonna forget him. He deserves to be remembered." Her voice shook a little.

"Yeah, he does." Auggie handed the photo back to her and she quickly put it back in the box and shut the lid.

"But I want to move forward….with you." She said softly as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt his hand come up and stroke her hair.

"Me too, Walker. Me too."

A few minutes later, Annie shook off the melancholy mood and started to stand. "What do say I buy you a beer for helping me?"

"Wait."

The seriousness of his voice caused her to turn around.

"It's weird to do this here, but it feels right."

"Do what?" Before she could say more, Auggie changed position so he was kneeling on one knee.

"Annie, I know I'm not what most people would choose as a husband, but if you marry me, I promise to love, cherish and protect you every day of my life."

Annie watched as Auggie reached into his front pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. He opened it and inside was a thin band in white gold with a stunning sapphire stone.

"Oh, Auggie." She felt the tears well up.

"What do you say, Walker?"

Through her tears, she said, "I'll marry you, but you should know, you're exactly who anyone would pick for me. You're perfect."

"I know it's not a traditional engagement ring, but I thought…. I wanted to…."

"What?" She prodded gently.

"You're blue."

"I'm blue?"

"Yeah, I don't know how to explain it….I see colors sometimes like an aura…it's weird, I know I'm not explaining it right…it's not really seeing…don't get excited, nothing miraculous is going on here…it's just that when you're near, I see blue, so I thought a sapphire would be fitting. You can exchange it if you don't like it."

She watched as his cheeks turned red. "I love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

xXx

_Santa Barbara, California, One Month Later _

Auggie paced outside her hotel room door. Finally, he heard it open.

"Auggie, you look so good in that suit." She touched the lapels of the light-tan linen suit jacket and the knot on his matching tie.

"You picked it out."

"Well, you wear it well." She touched her lips lightly to his and watched a smile form on his face.

"Can I see your outfit now?"

"Okay." She said as she reached out and took his hand. He followed inside the room. It was only the two of them.

"Are you sure you are okay with this? I know it's bad luck and all….."

"I think it's better when we make our own rules. After all, it's _our_ wedding." She watched him smile and then gently drew his hand toward her until he touched the delicate fabric at her waist. The look on his face was so reverent. She reminded herself for the millionth time today how incredibly lucky she was to be marrying this extraordinary man.

"Chiffon." He said as he slowly trailed his hands down the sides of her body.

"Yes, it's sleeveless, simple…there's a band of satin around the waist." She whispered.

"Is it the same color as the dress?" He had found the band of satin and was letting his fingers move across the smooth fabric.

"No." She drew the word out and watched his face. He looked puzzled for a moment, and then he smiled.

"It's blue, isn't it?"

"Yes." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"I love you Annie. I can't wait to spend my life with you."

"Well, let's start then." She pulled free of his embrace and put his hand on her elbow and led them out to the beach where the guests were waiting for the ceremony to begin.


End file.
